This is the first time I tried making this type of cake/loaf, and let’s just say that it will now be one of my favourites. I got the base recipe from my Robin Hood Home Baking cookbook and did a few tweaks. You’ll only need one lemon for this recipe, but it sure packs quite the punch in flavour!
Ingredients:
Loaf
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp grated lemon zest (about one lemon)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
Lemon Glaze
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and lemon juice. Combine well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating lightly after each addition. Stir in poppy seeds and spread into a greased 9-inch loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan and onto a lined wire rack.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon glaze by mixing the juice of 1/2 lemon in a
bowl with the vanilla, then gradually adding the confectioner’s sugar until well-dissolved (if mixture is too stiff add some more lemon juice or a drop of water). - With the loaf still warm, spread the glaze mixture over the top so that it gently drips down the sides of the loaf (this is where lining your counter with paper town or parchment paper below your wire rack will come in handy).
- Cool completely (glaze will harden) and serve.
We’re so glad we happened to find out about your site. You’ve got good recipes. We LOVE lemon! In fact, we just posted our own citrus cake today. You’ve got a good thing going here.
Thanks so much! :) I’ve got a folder full off photos and recipes that I still need to post, so I need to stop procrastinating… lol. You have an awesome site with some great recipes. That citrus cake looks delicious… I can’t wait to try it!
I’ve been thinking about making this loaf for the longest time! Everytime I spend a toonie for a slice of it at Starbucks I kick myself! I will be making it for sure now! Good looking out! Have you posted a recipe for banana bread? I usually make it from scratch but it wouldn’t kill me to follow a recipe so it can come out just like Starbucks’.
Wow.. this looks SOOO yummy!!!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.. hopefully I get to try it out soon.
You have a love blog :D
Take care
Farhana
Wonderful lemon loaf recipe, I made it for my co-workers and there was not a crumb left. I will defintely make this loaf again.
You never stated how long to bake the loaf. i will have to guesstimate. I hopwe i get it right.
Oops sorry!!!!! I just reread and realized you said one hour. My fault. Sure it will turn out great.
I’ve just made this and it’s absolutely delicious! Thanks so much, you’ve just saved me a ton of money from Starbucks & Second Cup. It came out perfectly moist and the lemon glaze is a very nice touch.
Thank you very very much for sharing this recipe. This is almost identical to starbucks lemon loaf. It saves so much money not having to go to starbucks to get this for my daughter :)
I made this for a family party (2 loaves) and I got comments like “delicious” and “yummmm” and “heavenly”!!!! It was a hit and the glaze was a great finishing touch.
One note though, I took it out of the oven after exactly 40 minutes and it was baked to perfection…
Not quite the recipe I was looking for. I made it exactly as the recipe stated, however, not as moist as Starbucks.
WOW! I made this with gluten-free flour (and added 1 1/2 tsp of xantham gum) and it turned out fabulous! I was able to split the batter up into two loaf pans, which made for smaller but still tasty loaves and baked them for only 40 minutes. I plan to freeze the other one. Thumbs up!
Perfect lemon-poppy seed loaf! Light and tasty. Yummy!!! Better than Starbucks!!
Driest lemon loaf I have ever made. Very disappointed as doubled recipe. Even baked 10 minutes less. Not a recipe I will use again
Shelley, that’s surprising considering how many people have tried the recipe and said it came out tasting delicious! Are you sure you followed the recipe exactly? Maybe doubling the recipe had an effect on it… or maybe it was over-beaten?
I’m going to try this recipe out again, and this time reduce the bake time and see if it comes out tasting any different (I’ll then adjust my original post if that’s the case).