Lemon and Poppyseed Blondies

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I’m slightly obsessed with these luscious Lemon and Poppyseed Blondies. They have a blondie texture, are loaded with lemon and poppyseeds, drizzled with a sweet lemon syrup and topped with a lemon flavoured icing. These utterly addictive little cakes are like the lovechild of blondies and Lemon Drizzle with poppyseeds added for good measure.

They make wonderful gifts and travel well. They are easy to wrap in a gift box or transported in a cake tin for a picnic or handed around to share with a group of friends or colleagues as a thank you or perhaps for a birthday celebration. I have even boxed them up and posted them!

How to make Lemon and Poppyseed Blondies

These blondies are based on my Blondies – Core Recipe. I have simply added some lemon zest and poppyseeds to the core batter, and then added the lemon drizzle and icing.

Collect all your ingredients together and line the baking tin:

In order to guarantee soft and fudgy blondies, it is important to use the correct size tin – in this case it is a 20cm/8inch square tin. If your tin is larger the depth of your cake batter will be less and the blondies will cook more quickly. Equally if the tin is smaller, your cake batter will be deeper and the blondies will cook more slowly.

1. Sit the tin on greaseproof paper making sure the paper is large enough to line the tin, come up the sides and have a little overhang.
2. Cut out the corners of the paper so it will fit easily into the tin
3. Fold the paper from corner to corner so the size of the centre of the paper matches the base of the tin. Slot inside the tin.

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Blondie ingredients –

• 200g unsalted butter, in cubes
• 150g caster sugar
• 50g soft brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 eggs
• 150g plain/all-purpose flour
• 2 lemons, zest only
• 20g/2 tablespoons poppyseeds

Drizzle ingredients:

• 45ml/3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 30ml/2 tablespoons water
• 80g caster sugar

Lemon icing ingredients:

• 200g icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons and ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• poppyseeds

First make these fabulous blondies and the drizzle:

1. Make the blondies: put the butter into a microwave safe jug or bowl and use the microwave to melt the butter. Do this in 15 second bursts, stirring between each burst. This should take 30 – 60 seconds depending on how cold the butter is and the power of your microwave. Alternatively, melt the butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, put the sugars, eggs, vanilla extract/paste and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. This will take around 3 minutes.
3. When the eggs and sugar mix is ready, slowly pour in the melted butter, at the side of the dish, and beat until completely incorporated.
4. Put a sieve over the bowl, add the flour and sift directly over the cake batter.
5. Fold until nearly mixed in and add the lemon zest and poppyseeds.
6. Fold in but be careful not to over-mix at this stage.
7. Transfer to your lined baking tin and level the surface, making sure the cake batter goes all the way into the corners.
8. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 25 – 35 minutes, depending on how squidgy you like the centre to be. (I cook mine for 30 minutes in London.) This gives me a slightly crispy top but a gorgeous soft centre.
9. While the blondies are baking, make the drizzle: heat the water and caster sugar in a saucepan over a moderately low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
10. Take off the heat and add the lemon juice. The syrup is now ready.
11. Drizzle the hot, cooked blondies with the syrup: as soon as the blondies come out of the oven, spoon the syrup over, trying to let the middle absorb it as well as the sides.
12. Leave the blondies to cool in the tin for 30 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
13. Leave to cool in the tin for around 30 minutes and then transfer, in the baking parchment, to a cooling rack.

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Finally, make the lemon icing:

1. Juice the lemon and put the juice through a sieve to ensure there are no bits or pips.
2. Add to the icing sugar and mix to a thick paste. Beat vigorously ensuring that there are no lumps.
3. Leave the cake in the baking paper and slot back into the tin – this helps to keep the shape of the icing. Pour the icing on top.
4. Spread to level over the surface and liberally scatter with poppyseeds.
5. Leave the icing to set for a couple of hours and then slice into 9 or 16 squares.

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What is the best way to store blondies?

When you store blondies, it is important to cover them. They keep well for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Can I freeze these blondies?

Yes you can! These blondies freeze well, covered, for up to 3 months.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.