Our blueberry buckle recipe bakes up a tender, blueberry-loaded snacking cake with a knobbly cinnamon topping. A blueberry buckle is similar in style to a coffee cake, but it’s studded with plump blueberries instead of a cinnamon-sugar swirl. It’s the perfect excuse to buy a mountain of fresh July blueberries or use up that bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer.
Blueberry Buckle Ingredients
- Butter: You’ll need 1/4 cup of softened butter for the buckle’s base and 1/3 cup of cold, cubed butter for the topping. That’s a little more than one stick of butter, so double-check that you have enough before starting.
- Sugar: Our blueberry buckle recipe uses 3/4 cup granulated sugar for the buckle base and 2/3 cup for the topping. If you run out of sugar, feel free to use brown sugar for the topping.
- Egg: Take your egg out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting this recipe to bring it to room temperature.
- All-purpose flour: For a tender, moist blueberry buckle, use all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder: Double-check that your baking powder hasn’t expired (it can expire within six months to a year) so you can feel confident that your buckle will rise.
- Milk: Using 2% milk adds the perfect amount of richness to this cake. Feel free to use something with a higher fat percentage. However, the same rule doesn’t apply to milk with a lower fat percentage, like skim or almond milk; use one of those, and your buckle may turn out a bit dry.
- Blueberries: Give your blueberries a good cleaning before dumping them into the buckle batter. A three-to-one ratio of water and vinegar is the best way to wash blueberries.
- Topping: If you’re anything like me, you love texture on desserts. Our blueberry buckle recipe makes an absolutely delicious crumble topping, made from sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon and cubed butter. A few reviewers noted that they even double the topping, it’s that good!
Directions
Step 1: Mix the batter
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the egg, and beat well.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
Editor’s Tip: When alternating the flour mixture and the milk, beat in half the flour mixture, beat in the milk, then beat in the rest of the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
Step 2: Add the blueberries
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries until they’re evenly dispersed.
Step 3: Spread into pan
Evenly spread the batter into a greased 9-inch-square baking pan, being sure to reach all corners and edges.
Step 4: Create the topping
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, all-purpose flour and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
Step 5: Bake
Bake the blueberry buckle until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the buckle on a wire rack. If desired, serve with sweetened whipped cream and additional blueberries.
Blueberry Buckle Variations
- Introduce more spices: Dial up the flavor with just a hint of ground ginger, cardamom or nutmeg. These spices pair with both blueberries and cinnamon, so you can’t go wrong. Just remember that a little goes a long way, so only use 1/4 teaspoon of each spice.
- Serve it with lemon sauce: Taste of Home contributor Maureen Carr created a gorgeous lemon sauce recipe that’s meant to accompany a baked blueberry buckle. In a small saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of water until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for one minute longer, or until thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Serve the warm lemon sauce with the blueberry buckle slices.
- Make it with browned butter: Knowing how to brown butter is a trick every avid baker should have in their skill set. Browned butter adds a toasted and deeply nutty note that makes a major flavor difference. Make your browned butter ahead of time, then use it accordingly for the buckle base and topping.
How to Store Blueberry Buckle
To store a blueberry buckle, allow it to cool to room temperature, then cover the pan with storage wrap. Or place slices of the buckle in an airtight container. Keep your buckle at room temperature for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to four.
Blueberry Buckle Tips
Can I use frozen blueberries to make a blueberry buckle?
Yes, you can swap frozen for fresh blueberries, if need be. Just don’t thaw the frozen blueberries, to avoid discoloring the batter.
What’s the difference between a buckle and a coffee cake?
The main difference between a buckle and a coffee cake is the filling. Coffee cake recipes have an excess of cinnamon, usually in the form of a swirl or layer inside the cake, and zero fruit. A buckle has fruit in its filling and uses only a small amount of cinnamon.
