Lemon Loaf Cake

Homemade Lemon Loaf vs. Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Alright so I made my lemon loaf on Friday and it was a big hit in my house. It is already gone except for the tiny slice I happened to save. My cousin gave me the idea to compare the one I made and the “Original” Starbucks one, so I did!

Homemade Lemon Loaf:

Obviously to make a homemade version you will need all the ingredients to make it. Since I bake a lot I had most of the ingredients on hand. The loaf pan I bought I got it at Marshalls for $4.99 and it is super cute! With many of my ingredients I have no problem buying the “Generic Brand” of many of the items I use. They taste exactly the same and I have not seen a difference in my baking by not using name brand items. So that being said don’t hesitate in buying the generic brand to any of these ingredients!

The homemade lemon loaf has more of a cake consitencey and moist texture. It is soft and slightly crumbly but not too much. The color of the cake was definitely more yellow as well. The frosting is not too thick, unless you slather on more. I personally don’t like thick frosting so I left mine thin. The frosting is more citrusy, the lemon flavor is absolutely there! The frosting is not too sweet and slightly tangy. For the cake itself the lemon flavor is there and it is not overly sweet. I think the frosting and the cake compliant themselves and balance each other out. It is flat out delicious and taste fresh, I mean it is homemade.

Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Okay so I love Starbucks don’t have anything against it BUT it is slightly expensive. I went to Starbucks with the sole purpose to just purchase 1 lemon loaf slice. The grand total was $3.19. That was a little too much in my opinion.

So the taste test. It was not bad, I have had it before but now I had a different perspective on it because I have now tasted a homemade version. Once you taste the homemade version you have something to compare it too. The Starbucks slice was a lot more dense. Similar to the texture of a pound cake. The cake itself so not as moist and the lemon flavor didn’t have a POW to it. I felt it was chewy and it didn’t melt in your mouth. In terms of color this lemon loaf slice did not have a strong yellow color. In terms of size it was slightly bigger but that has to do with the size of loaf pan it was baked in. The thing I didn’t like at all was the icing. The icing for me was way to thick. I think it may be a personal preference but I was not a fan. The icing was just too sweet and their no lemon flavor in the icing.

Overall I defiantly prefer the homemade version and so does my wallet. If you have the time to make it yourself it will pay off. If you are planning on sharing it with lots of people the homemade version is obviously way more convenient. You can get about 10 slices just depending on the thickness of the slice. If you are in a rush and craving something sweet the Starbucks version will be your best bet. I think it is all a personal preference but in my opinion the extra work with the the homemade lemon loaf is a lot yummier and pays off in the end!