Kara's Sights and Bites: Sometimes nothing but homemade cake will do

By: Kara Kimbrough

“Almost” Starbucks Lemon Loaf is easy to make and less expensive to enjoy than the store-bought version.

   Everywhere I turned last week…every internet post…every magazine cover in the supermarket checkout line…every conversation I overheard in the supermarket checkout line…you get the picture…it seemed like cakes were on the minds of many. As a result, the thought of soft, moist layer cakes covered with a thick covering of buttercream icing occupied my thoughts until I was forced to give in to a craving for homemade cake.

   It started with a TikTok (please don’t come for me with warnings; I’m only there for the recipes) post listing the top 10 best chocolate cakes in New York City. One after another, luscious slices of chocolate cake, each one more decadent than the other, filled my screen and my head. As a rule, I don’t actually like chocolate cake, so the fact that these delicious versions caused my mouth to water is really saying something.

    The number one slice, with layers so dark it was called “Brooklyn Blackout Cake,” is served at The Little Cupcake Bakeshop. Iced with a heavy layer of light chocolate, it’s easy to see why Food and Wine Magazine proclaimed its standing as the "best chocolate cake in the U.S."

   The next day, I overheard a conversation discussing the high cost of purchasing coffee “away from home” instead of making it “at home.” This led to a discussion about other items sold at the popular Starbucks coffee chain, including its famous lemon loaf. Supposedly a slice of the moist lemon cake frosted with cream cheese icing now costs $4.   

     I’ve enjoyed a slice of Starbucks’ lemon loaf on more than one occasion with a coffee drink and can attest that it’s “almost” worth the price. I remembered seeing a recipe for “Copycat Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf,” online; a quick search uncovered dozens of recipes, each one increasing my desire for a piece of homemade lemony cake.

    As if I needed more impetus to bake a cake, a friend showed me an Instagram page of two sisters who spend their spare time baking old recipes from their mother and grandmother’s recipe files. You guessed it, the first post I saw as I began scrolling the page was a demonstration of old-fashioned vanilla layer cake with a luscious crown of cream cheese icing.

   I took the hint that I was SUPPOSED to bake and most importantly – EAT cake. I quickly gathered the ingredients for the “Almost” Starbucks Lemon Loaf and baked it before my cake obsession could get out of hand. 

    A hot slice straight from the oven was just the ticket to quell my craving. Even better, it was the perfect light sweet touch at the end of a hectic day. Try it…you’ll like it…and best of all, a slice of homemade costs much less than $4.

 “Almost” Starbucks Lemon Loaf

 Cake: 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

2 (2.9 ounce) packages non-instant lemon pudding mix

½ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

8 ounces sour cream

½ cup milk

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

 Icing: 

2-½ cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, sour cream, milk and six tablespoons lemon juice into bowl of stand mixer; beat for two minutes and pour into prepared loaf pans.

    Bake in preheated oven about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes on a wire rack.

    Whisk confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice together in a bowl until smooth; spoon evenly over the loaves and let set before slicing.

 Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.