Blueberry Buckle

Name: Blueberry Buckle
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: one 8x8 pan
Ingredients: butter or oil, for greasing the pan; 7.5 oz all-purpose flour (1.5 cups); 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 egg; 1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk); 12 oz frozen blueberries (3 cups)*; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup flour; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

February 3, 2017

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This Blueberry Buckle is loaded with tons of blueberries and baked with a cinnamon streusel crumb topping. It’s a wonderful coffee cake to serve at your next brunch!

This Blueberry Buckle is loaded with tons of blueberries and baked with a cinnamon streusel crumb topping. Perfect for brunch!

[Post updated January 2017 with new photos, writing, and recipe. Originally posted May 2012]

When I lived in southern Georgia, there was a blueberry farm 15 minutes from my house where you could pick as much as you’d like for $2.50/lb.

So basically, when blueberry season came around, I pretty much lived at that farm. My friends and I would go often to gather up a few buckets of blueberries, then return home and eat them any and every way we could. There were a lot of freshly baked blueberry buckles in those few years.

If you’re not familiar with a buckle, it’s just a coffee cake with a streusel crumb topping that gets it name from how it “buckles” and cracks as it bakes. This one has a tender cakey-ness to it and is loaded with blueberries.

I originally adapted this recipe from Alton Brown, but over time have changed things a bit. His version calls for cake flour, but truthfully I don’t really keep cake flour in my pantry. So my updated version uses all-purpose (and a little bit less, to keep it lighter), among other changes. It’s still plenty moist and light, and it’s a little more accessible.

To get started, mix together the dry ingredients, which are all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt:

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then add an egg:

Mix the egg in, then add half the dry ingredients:

Blueberry Buckle Recipe, perfect for brunch and entertaining!

Mix until incorporated, then add some buttermilk or milk:

How to Make a Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, and another batch of milk, until the cake batter is almost combined:

Easy Buckle Recipe with Frozen Blueberries

Add a 12-ounce bag or 3 cups of frozen blueberries to the bowl:

Fresh blueberries will certainly work, but I like using frozen blueberries because they don’t run the risk of getting mashed during the mixing process.

Well, and then I can make this cake in the middle of February, whenever the mood strikes me.

(Who else has bags of frozen berries in their freezer at all times?)

When the blueberries are mixed in, spread the batter evenly into a greased 8×8 pan:

Before popping it into the oven, we need to make the topping!

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter:

Stir with a fork until it gets clumpy:

Scatter the clumps evenly on top of the cake batter:

Bake the buckle for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake doesn’t come out with any raw batter (blueberry juice is fine).

Let the cake cool completely, then flip the cake out of the pan:

Turn it rightside up, and cut into squares:

Then it’s ready to enjoy!

The top is wonderfully crunchy and sweet, the cake is soft and moist, and the blueberries burst with sweet jamminess in every bite.

It’s such a treat!