Yummy Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf [Vegan]

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Starbucks is known for its fresh and flavorful pastries as much as its coffees. Though all cakes and pastries taste great, the lemon loaf at Starbucks can blow your minds away, with its fresh lemony flavor and moist texture.

If you love the lemon loaf of Starbucks, you would also know by now that it doesn’t come cheap. Also, there is always a queue at the outlets for buying their delicious coffees and cakes.

Don’t lose heart, though! After reading this article, you won’t have to visit Starbucks anymore to taste their lemon loaf. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make the exact Starbucks version of lemon loaf right in your home, using basic ingredients.

The best part of this recipe is that it is vegan; therefore, it is a healthier version as well.

If you thought that a Starbucks-style loaf could not be prepared in a healthy version, you have got to read this recipe right now.

The recipe is so simple that you would want to try it out instantly. So, let us understand more about the ingredients and method of making the vegan version of copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf right in your homes.

Ingredients Needed To Make the Vegan Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf

The following ingredients can help you make about 8 to 10 slices of fresh and moist lemon loaf, just like what you would get at Starbucks. With these basic ingredients, you can prepare the lemon loaf in just about half an hour.

For the wet mix

• Tofu – 6 ounces (use only soft and silken tofu)

• Canola Oil – ¼ cup (any other vegan oil can also be used)

• Vegan milk – 1 cup (use only unsweetened version)

• Granulated Sugar – 1 cup

• Lemon Zest – of one whole lemon

• Lemon Juice – 2 tablespoons (use only fresh juice)

• Vanilla Extract – 1 teaspoon

For the dry mix

• All-purpose flour – 2 cups

• Salt – ½ teaspoon

• Baking Powder – 2 teaspoons

• Baking Soda – ¼ teaspoon

For the glaze to be used as the topping of the loaf

• Powdered Sugar – 1 cup

• Vegan Milk – 1 tablespoon

• Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon (use fresh juice only)

Process of making the Vegan Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf

• The first step of baking this fresh lemon loaf is to get your microwave ready. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and get the loaf pan prepared by greasing it with some vegan oil or butter.

• The second step is to add all the ingredients mentioned under “for the wet mix” in a blender. Blend the contents well until the mixture becomes soft and smooth.

• Now, you have to add all the ingredients mentioned under “for the dry mix” in a big bowl and mix the contents well. Add the blended wet mix to this dry mix and mix the contents gently with a spoon. Please take note that you shouldn’t over-stir the contents at this stage.

• Pour the loaf batter on the greased loaf pan and bake it for about 30 to 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, keep regularly checking if the loaf has been baked well. You can insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and contain the same. If the toothpick comes out clean, the loaf has been baked to perfection.

• Let the lemon loaf remain in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for the loaf to cool down well.

• This is the time to prepare the glaze of the loaf. The lemon-flavored glaze is the highlight of the loaf. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the ingredients mentioned under “for the glaze.” Whisk the contents well until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly fluffy. Pour the glaze over the loaf and relish the loaf immediately after cutting it into slices. Alternatively, you can allow the glaze to remain on the loaf for a while, and relish the slices after the glaze has hardened.

Some points to keep in mind while making the copycat version of vegan lemon loaf

You should buy only the silken version of tofu for preparing this loaf, like other types of tofu that come with bitter flavors that may impact the taste of the loaf.

You can use any type of vegan milk (soy, almond, coconut, cashew, etc.) that you like. However, please remember to use the same type of milk while preparing the wet mix and making the glaze. This way, it doesn’t interfere with the flavors of the cake.

To get the authentic Starbucks-style of the lemon loaf, you have to use fresh lemon juice only.

We recommend using unsweetened vegan milk only for this recipe. However, if you can find only sweetened vegan milk in your local stores, you can still use it for this recipe. Please remember to cut down the quantity of sugar, in that case.

For a healthier version of this lemon loaf, you can substitute granulated sugar with natural sweeteners like agave nectar, maple syrup, raw honey, or stevia. Some people have also had immense success with this recipe by adding unsweetened apple sauce to the wet mix. Also, instead of all-purpose flour, you can use whole wheat flour, almond flour, oat flour, or other gluten-free flour.

You can substitute the granulated sugar with the ground and raw cane sugar for the glaze to enjoy a healthy version of the lemon loaf.

If you want to prepare the cake in advance to save time, you can keep two bowls in the refrigerator – one with the dry ingredients and one with the wet ingredients. You can mix them both exactly when you want to prepare the cake. Mixing the wet and dry ingredients together in advance should be avoided as it can interfere with the freshness of the cake.

Instead of a sugar-based glaze, you can also make icing with white chocolate spread with a dash of the lemon extract on it, to make the cake taste richer and creamier than what you get at Starbucks.