Blueberry Buckle
We’re just about at the mid-point of summer, which means there’s still a lot of summer left to be had, but I feel like it’s a freight train barreling out of control. It’s the middle of July, and it feels like just yesterday we signed the closing papers on our house (which happened the week before Memorial Day). I guess time flies when you’re having fun! I definitely feel like summer is slipping through my fingertips, so I’ve been trying to eat up as much of it as I can. The blueberries lately have looked especially amazing. They are all so big and plump, and taste just as good as they look. I picked up a huge container at Costco on Friday and didn’t last more than 24 hours before I was in the kitchen with them. I’ve been wanting to make a blueberry buckle for years, and finally got down to it.
In case you haven’t heard of blueberry buckle, it’s basically a single-layer blueberry coffee cake with a streusel topping. I don’t know about you, but I live and die for streusel topping.
As it turns out, there are recipes for blueberry buckle everywhere. I sifted through a lot of them before deciding on which one to try. The deciding factor? This recipe has a whopping 4 cups of fresh blueberries, which was by and far the most of any recipe I found. More blueberries could only mean more deliciousness, I decided. Plus, the streusel topping looked substantial, more like a crumb topping, which rocks my world.
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I couldn’t have been more excited about how this recipe turned out. There is just enough cake batter to hold the blueberries together, which means it’s basically like just eating fruit, which means you could totally have this for breakfast (don’t you love my logic?). It’s a perfect breakfast/brunch cake, as well as a great dessert for any time of day.
I’m riding the blueberry train as long as I can; if you’re hopping on, too, you definitely want to make this cake before summer’s end.
One year ago: Hot Corn and Cheese Dip
Two years ago: Peach Cobbler and Malted Milk Ice Cream
Three years ago: Cranberry Orange Scones
Four years ago: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Six years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
Blueberry Buckle
Ingredients
For the Topping:
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 8 pieces
For the Cake:
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (133.33 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) grated lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 4 cups (592 g) fresh blueberries, (20 ounces)
Instructions
- Make the Topping: With an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined, about 45 seconds. Add the butter and continue to mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2½ minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Make the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a round 9-inch cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment, grease the parchment, then flour the inside of the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, then add eggs one at a time; beat for 5 to 10 seconds, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add the flour mixture and beat until the flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing until no flour pockets remain (the batter will be very heavy and thick). Using the rubber spatula, gently fold blueberries into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan; use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter evenly to the pan edges and smooth the surface. Squeeze a handful of the streusel in your hand to form a large cohesive clump; break up the clump with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel.
- Bake until the top is deep golden brown and a thin knife inserted into center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Place on a wire rack for 20 minutes (the cake will fall slightly as it cools).
- Run a thin knife around the sides of cake. Invert the cake, then peel off the parchment from the bottom of the cake and discard. Turn the cake right-side-up onto a cooling rack or serving dish. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Will this work in a square or rectangle (9×9 or 9×13) pan so I can cut into squares? If so which would u recommend?
Hi Paula, I would do an 8-inch square if you have one! If not, use the 9-inch square and reduce the baking time a bit.
Great recipe! Made it gluten-free for my buckle-loving sister’s birthday and she loved it. Thanks!
Hi! I want to try your recipe but we don’t have access to fresh blueberries from where I live. Is it okay to use those in cans, such as the Duncan Hines Comstock Blueberry? Hope you reply. Thank you!:)
Hi Joyce, Frozen blueberries would be a better bet, I think.
Made it according to the recipe, except in a 11″ x 7″ pan, and left it in the pan rather than turning it out. BIG hit for dessert (with ice cream), breakfast, and snacks. Finally, a recipe that doesn’t skimp on the streusel topping! Making another one tomorrow, with half blueberries and half diced peaches. Thanks!
I made this cake for my church coffee hour this weekend and it was a huge hit which really means a lot since I bake yummies for them all the time. Many asked for the recipe. I used 2 pints of blueberries which I’m not sure if it equals four cups but it worked fine. Also added fourth a tsp of lemon extract since my lemons weren’t giving me a lot of great zest. I will make this again! Thank you for another recipe to add to my personal cookbook!
Ladies, I’m really needing to know if I can substitute the blueberries with cranberries?!! Or if something else would have to be changed or added in the recipe. In desperate need of knowing before Thanksgiving!! Thanks soooo much!
Hi Jamie, I’ve never tried it, but I don’t think you would need to change anything else in the recipe.
I was really disappointed with this recipe. The texture seems really off to me. I feel like I wasted my 4 cups of fresh blueberries. I won’t make this recipe again.
I made this cake for my husband and he ate the entire thing. Well, except for the one piece I was able to sneak. Great recipe for anytime of day.
Can this be made in advance and frozen?
Thank you! L
Hi Lee, I haven’t tried doing so, but I think it should work okay.
I know it rather late…being 2015 and oll but I have just tried this recipe! It is absoltely amazing! Thank you!
I love this recipe! I have gobs of frozen huckleberries so I ignored the warning not to use them and made this anyway. I had to sub allspice for the cinnamon because I’m out, and miles from a store. So, of course my cake is dark purple, but it tastes delicious!! The kids are going to be thrilled with their after-school snack, I can’t wait! Thank you for the delicious recipes!!
I would like to make this in a 9 x 13. Do you think it would work to double? I usually double recipes for a 9 x9 square pan, but I know round is different than square. thanks!
Thanks so much for the recipe, I made it yesterday and the girlfriend is a huge fan. We have nearly demolished it already!
Just made this- it was delicious!!! Since I have an overabundance of strawberries do you think I could use strawberries in place of the blueberrries?
Hi Shayna, I haven’t tried it, and am not sure about any moisture difference, but I think it’s definitely worth a shot!
I just tried this with strawberries and it turned out really well! If anybody else wanted to try I just made sure to toss them in flour and dry them out with a paper towel really well before folding them into the batter.
I have made this recipe for years and most times the middle is raw or undercooked. If i leave it in the oven longer the cake becomes very dry around the edges. I have tried lowering the oven temp after a while and covering the edges with foil. This still produces dry cake on the edges.
Please help
Hi Debi, I would make sure your oven is running the correct temperature. I have made this multiple times, and at 55 minutes, my knife is totally clean in the middle. If you need to bake it longer but the top is getting too dark, you can tent it with foil.
Wow! Just made this for my family and they loved it, thank you for publishing this!
Anything with crumb topping reminds me of my mom’s baking (she’s German and “Streusel” is a must). This was wonderful-thank you!
Hi there! I have a question. Is it possible for me not to use parchment paper and invert the cake in the end. I have non-stick 9″ William-Sonoma round pan, one can just take the side ring when the cake is ready. I wonder if it work without parchment paper and inversion. Thank you.
Hi Yelena, I really recommend the parchment; it’s an insurance policy against the cake sticking to the pan and breaking as you try to turn it out. If you’re saying you have a springform pan and just want to remove the sides and leave the cake sitting on the base when it’s done, I think that would be fine.
Yes. I have a springform. Thank you, Michelle, so much! Love your recipes!!! :-)
Terrible! I bake all the time and this did not rise at all, perhaps it should have been baking soda and not baking powder, what a waste of ingredients!
So, I have blueberries and want to make this, but I don’t have lemons or lemon extract. How significant is the lemon flavor? I have lemon juice; should I substitute the lemon zest for 1 tablespoon of that and perhaps slightly alter the cake’s texture, or would you say it’s better to just leave out the lemon altogether?
I personally would just leave out the lemon, I don’t think it’s a huge deal for this item.
so I just wanted to share my experience baking this wonderful cake. I decided to use mixed frozen berries. I lightly coated them with flour before mixing them in & I didn’t defrost them.I also decided to bake it in a 13 by 9 inch dish, just so you know you will not be able to remove the parchment without breaking the cake, so if removing the parchmnet is important to you, bake it in a smaller dish. Initially I was concerned with The berry to dough ratio, but the cake came out splendid. Huge hit and all gone. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
OK, your description sounds great. I’m trying it now.
this looks so tempting, but i have a query, whether canned blueberries filling will give same result or any replacement in recipe is required like cutting off half of sugar! i so want to make it!
Hi Aman, I would not recommend using blueberry filling; you need just single blueberries, nothing canned in a sauce or juice.
I’ve never had a buckle before, something different to use up those blueberries
This cake was REALLY good, the whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing! The only thing I did different was used lemon juice instead of vanilla, because I didn’t have any – oh, and I used frozen blueberries because that’s all I had, and it turned out amazing :)
Hi Michelle,
THANK YOU for this amazing recipe! I made it and everyone loved it especially my husband! Even my father in law who doesn’t eat sweets ate a big piece and said it’s awesome! :) I have a question for you;I had to remove it from the oven after like 40 minutes since the top was getting darker (I did preheated the oven to 350 degrees), and I was afraid it’ll be burned but thank God it didn’t:), I’m planning to do the blueberry buckle again tomorrow, shall I just get it out of the oven after 35 minutes or so? Thanks for your amazing recipes :)
Hi Ala’a, Yes, I would just bake it as you did the first time; oven temperatures can vary, so yours may run a little hot, which will cause it to be done sooner.
Thanks a lot :) I did it again and it was even better than the first time :) Super delicious! THANKS A MILLION for your amazing recipes, and CONGRATS on your wedding, may your coming days be filled with all happiness <3
Made this the other day and took it to work – one of my coworkers had 4 slices! I am trying it again and experimenting with a mixture of blackberries/blueberries and raspberries – I can’t wait – it’s soooo good! Thank you :)
Just made this last night and it’s already half-way eaten! My hubby and kids loved it – he wants me to make it for a work party next week. :) Thanks for a wonderful recipe for summer blueberries!
Out of curiosity, what kind of pan could you use for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jessica, As the recipe states, a 9-inch round cake pan. I use aluminum cake pans, but whatever you have should work just fine. If it’s dark coated, be sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
If you are short on time this summer you can always freeze the berries too! Blueberries don’t need to be washed prior to freezing.