Copycat Recipe: Starbucks Iced Lemon Pound Cake

One of the privileges of attending a large university was a 24/7 Starbucks in the library. I frequented the coffee shop not for Venti Americanos but for the Iced Lemon Pound Cake. Between classes, I’d indulge in a slice of the tangy yellow cake (well, until I read the nutrition facts)—and ever since then, I’ve possessed a certain nostalgia for the treat. 

Which is why, for the last year, my phone’s photo album has included screen shots of a recipe claiming to be a near-perfect replica of Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf (as it used to be called). Of course, I took this screen shot when I was in the midst of what I call the Couch Era, those weeks after Asa’s birth when I barely left my living room. She was a baby who liked to be held as often as my college’s Starbucks was open, which meant I spent lots of time surfing the web—and lots of time imagining the desserts I’d someday bake, if I ever had more than 10 minutes to myself again.

One year later, that day has (finally) come, if you can count cooking with a one-year-old wrapped around your leg as “me” time—and my filed-away recipes are being put to the test. 

This one didn’t disappoint. 

Although my loaf pan isn’t nearly as deep as the one Starbucks must use—my cake ended up only about half the size of the original—the taste was more than convincing. The secret, I believe, isn’t in the cake itself—it’s the dash of lemon extract in the powdered sugar-based icing, giving it just enough zing to trick your tastebuds into coming back again…and again…and again. (I’m to the stage where I’m just skimming off the top half of the cake, so I can ensure I enjoy a bit of icing with every bite.) 

I will admit the texture is a bit different than the original. The copycat recipe yields a light, fluffy cake, much like a traditional box cake, whereas the Lemon Loaf of my memory was denser (perhaps the reason Starbucks changed its name to pound cake). That being said, I have heard that Sweet Streets, the bakery that Starbucks supposedly buys from, makes its desserts, like, a year in advance, then freezes them, which could explain the textural difference. I’ll take freshness over density. 

In 2014, in a tragic turn of events, Starbucks discontinued the dessert, but after my lemon-loving brethren protested, the company brought it back. So if you've never tried it, get it while you can, in case Starbucks tries to can the cake again. Or just make this recipe, courtesy of Food.com...

What you need:

1.5 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract (hint: it's sold at Aldi for $1.99!)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil

For the icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Put it all together:

1. Using a mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice, then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the oil, and mix until thoroughly incorporated. 
2. Pour the batter into a greased 9x5" loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.
3. While the cake is cooling, combine all the icing ingredients. When the cake is cool, remove it from the pan, and drizzle the icing over the top. Let the icing harden before serving.

The 850-Calorie Cake That's TOTALLY Worth It

I once had a friend who spent half her free time researching clever ways to cut calories in desserts: applesauce instead of oil, chickpeas instead of flour, prune puree in lieu of butter. Sorry, but I want REAL dessert when I indulge. Not some sugar-free, fat-free substitute that forces you to pretend you're satisfied. I'd rather eat the calorie-packed real deal and walk away totally thrilled with my decision. 

Which is why I had no problem eating this lemon cake at the Steelhead Diner in Seattle (the photo above is my replication of it):

The restaurant, near Pike's Place, is known for its seafood, which meant the desserts were pretty much the only thing on the menu I could eat. (I don't eat any kind of fish or shellfish.) I can't say I was disappointed, because I'd been craving a tangy lemon dessert for days. I was pleased the moment by waitress set my plate down in front of me: The presentation alone was impeccable. 

This layered lemon creation may look tiny, but it was so loaded down with rich ingredients—mascarpone cream, lemon curd, white chocolate shavings—that it undoubtedly packed a meal's worth of calories. And it was incredible. I initially intended to share it with my dining companions, but that didn't happen, obviously. 

I was so blown away that I had to try to recreate it at home. I found an old Epicurious recipe with the core elements: homemade lemon curd, a lemon-infused mascarpone layer, and 850 calories per serving. Mmm.

The recipe is for a standard layer cake, but I wanted to mimic the Steelhead Diner Lemon Cake down to the last detail. So I baked the cake batter in a muffin tin, creating cute little cake discs, perfect for stacking. 

This is a very laborious dessert to make. But the mascarpone filling and lemon curd are totally worth the effort—they taste exactly like the diner's versions. The cake's texture kind of came out funky, a little bit tough, although still chewy. But I think I just either over-mixed it or overcooked it. So proceed with caution! 

Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone

Adapted from Epicurious

What You Need

Cake

6 large eggs, separated

14 Tbsp sugar

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

1/4 tsp salt

Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Filling and Frosting

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

3 containers (8 oz. each) chilled mascarpone cheese

White chocolate shavings

Put It All Together

1. Position rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 350° F. 

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 7 Tbsp sugar, until the mixture is very thick, about 4 minutes. Then in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 7 Tbsp sugar to the whites, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy. Fold half of the egg whites into the yolk mixture, then stir in half of the flour and 1/4 tsp salt.  Fold in the remaining whites, followed by the remaining flour. Mix until just combined. 

3. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray, then spoon about 1.5 Tbsp of batter into each cup. (You'll probably need two muffin tins.) Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack, then run a knife around the edge of each cake disc to loosen them. 

2. Prepare the lemon curd: Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and egg yolks in a medium metal bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk constantly until thickened and a candy thermometer reads 160° F. Remove bowl from water, then add the butter, whisking until melted. Transfer 1 cup of the curd to a small bowl, and reserve the remaining curd for the filling. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each curd. Chill overnight. (I just chilled mine for a few hours, and it was totally fine, FYI.) 

3. Make the syrup: Place sugar in a small metal bowl. Add 1/2 cup boiling water; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice.

4. Prepare the filling and frosting: Beat the whipping cream and sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Add the mascarpone to the lemon curd you reserved for the filling. Whisk until blended, then fold the whipped cream into the lemon-mascarpone mixture. 

5. Prepare for serving: Spread a spoonful of the lemon-mascarpone mixture in the center of a dessert plate, forming a circle just larger than one of your cake discs. Place a cake disc on top of the filling, with the flat side facing up. Use a pastry brush to spread syrup over the surface of the cake, then spoon on a layer of lemon curd, followed by a layer of the lemon-mascarpone filling. Repeat with a second cake disc. Sprinkle white chocolate shavings on top and on the plate. 

Lemon Cream Butter Cake

As I've previously disclosed, I have a problem with lemon squares. My self-control is completely non-existent, which means I not only end up with powdered sugar all over my shirt, but may no longer fit into said shirt. Despite my reservations, I caved to the call of a lemon cream butter cake recipe I found on Pinterest. A few weeks ago, I made Momofuku's butter cake, but in a tragic turn of events, it collapsed. (I blame my ancient gas stove's lack of a thermometer.) Although it was too hideous to blog about, it was delicious enough for me to devour. I simply HAD to make the lemon version.

The lemon butter cake isn't quite as addictive as Momofuku's butter cake (probably a good thing), perhaps because it requires only about a quarter of the butter. Less intense than most butter cakes, it tastes like a cross between lemon cake and cheesecake. The texture is dense, but it doesn't weigh down the fresh citrus flavor. As my coworker described it, "Indulgent as cake, sinful-feeling as cheesecake, but lightened and brightened by the lemon." 

Lemon Cream Butter Cake
From Blackjack Bakehouse

Cake 
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Zest of two lemons


Filling
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of ½ lemon
1 cup powdered sugar


Put it all together

1. Preheat the oven to  325°F. Grease a 9" springform pan. 
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, and zest, and stir until just combined. (Do not overmix.)
3. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Set aside.
4. Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese on medium-high until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, and beat until combined. Add the butter, lemon extract, and vanilla, and beat until combined.
5. Pour the cream-cheese filling over the cake batter, leaving about ½" of the cake batter exposed around the edges. 
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are puffed up and a toothpick poked into the edge comes out clean. 
7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool for an hour. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.