Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Makes 8 slices

It would take quite a bit of real lemon juice to give this moist cake loaf clone the perfect lemony zip of the original. With too much liquid we wind up with thin batter, and ultimately a baked lemon loaf that lacks dense and flavorful quality of the coffeehouse original. So, to avoid producing a batter that’s too runny, we must turn to lemon extract. It’s over by the vanilla extract in the baking aisle. This concentrated lemon flavoring works well alongside real lemon juice to give us the perfectly intense lemon flavor we need for a killer clone. The lemon extract also works like a charm to flavor the icing that will top off your faux food.

ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tblsp. softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Lemon Icing:
1 cup plus 1 Tblsp. powdered sugar
2 Tblsp. milk
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

directions

1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3
In a separate bowl, blend eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice with an electric mixer.
4
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
5
Pour into a well-greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.
6
When loaf is cool, remove from pan and ice with icing. Slice into 1" slices.