Blueberry Buckle is a moist cake filled with fresh blueberries, lemon zest, and baked with a streusel topping. An Easy Blueberry Recipe perfect for dessert or breakfast!
What is Blueberry Buckle?
Until recently I had never heard of a Blueberry Buckle but after trying it I was very happy with the discovery. A Blueberry Buckle is a combination of a coffee cake and a blueberry muffin. Basically, two of the tastiest baked goods rolled into one. I am a huge fan of semi-sweet bread-y baked goods that are delicious with coffee. Nothing too over-indulgent or overly sweet.
And, of course, I love all things old-fashioned. The stuff that doesn’t change much through the generations. There’s nothing like the feeling of baking something that you can imagine your grandparents or great-grandparents or even great-great-grandparents baking. This Blueberry Buckle recipe totally fits that description. It’s easy to make, super moist, and absolutely made for cups of hot coffee.
I will be the first one to admit that I am not the world’s greatest baker. I typically gravitate toward rustic baked goods like muffins, single-layer cakes, and pies (although I recently discovered the joy of homemade doughnuts!). So you can rest assured that this is an easy recipe – nothing too fancy happening here.
How To Make Blueberry Buckle
- Start by heating the oven to 350 degrees.
- In one mixing bowl add 2 cups AP flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and a generous pinch of salt. Mix together completely with a fork.
- In another bowl, add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of softened butter and a 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk on medium for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy using a KitchenAid mixer or hand mixer.
- To the butter and sugar add 3/4 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and the zest of 1 lemon. Whisk on medium for another minute. The mixture should be light and creamy
The star of the blueberry buckle is, of course, blueberries! Fresh blueberries work great in this recipe and mid-summer is the perfect time for them.
- Add 1 pint of fresh blueberries to a 3rd mixing bowl (Yes – dishes will need to be washed but it’s totally worth it).
- To the blueberries add 2 Tbsp. flour and mix together. NOTE: The logic behind this step is that the flour is supposed to prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom as the cake bakes and prevent it from becoming soggy but there are different schools of thought on this. Some say it’s a necessary step and others say it’s pointless. I decided to go for it and the blueberries ended up nicely distributed throughout the cake.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture, combine, and then repeat. Be careful not to over-mix the batter or it may become tough.
- Pour the blueberries into the cake mixture and then stir together with a fork. Feel free to smash some of the blueberries and break them up a little bit. This adds some color to the cake as well as some extra texture (plus it’s just kind of fun, right?).
- Grease an 8″ springform pan (or regular round cake pan) with butter.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Blueberry Buckle Streusel Topping
Next up is the streusel topping.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of softened butter, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/3 cup flour, and a generous pinch of salt.
- Combine the mixture with a fork until it is crumbly.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the cake. I recommend not skipping the streusel because this is where much of the sweetness in the cake comes from.
Bake The Blueberry Buckle
Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour. At this point you will drive anyone who lives with you crazy with hunger. I’m telling you – the aroma of this cake as it bakes is out of this world. The top should become golden and it’s said that the streusel ‘buckles’ as it cooks – hence the name. Feel free to test the cake with a toothpick. It should come out clean when the cake is done.
Remove the cake from the oven when finished baking and let it cool slightly. Remove the outer ring from the springform pan. The cake is now ready to serve. The sour cream makes the cake slightly dense and moist, the lemon zest gives it a little bit of tang, and the streusel topping gives it some crunch and sweetness. The little bit of salt in the streusel balances out the sweetness.
Fresh blueberries Recipes are one of the best parts of summer and this cake is a great way to utilize them. It’s perfect for a brunch, a picnic, or as a mid-afternoon treat. My grandparents always had ‘lunch’ around 3:00 in the afternoon. Lunch was basically a time to sit around the kitchen counter and eat stuff like this while sipping coffee. It was a great way to chat with others while eating tasty baked goods. I say we continue the tradition with recipes like this!
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Blueberry Buckle
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 pint blueberries
- 2 Tbsp. flour
For The Streusel Topping:
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/3 packed cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup flour
- generous pinch salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups AP flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Stir together with fork.
- In another bowl, add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk together on medium for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy using a KitchenAid mixer or hand mixer.
- Add 3/4 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and the zest of 1 lemon to the bowl. Whisk for another minute or so. The mixture should be light and creamy.
- In another bowl, add 1 pint of fresh blueberries and 2 Tbsp. flour. Mix together with a fork.
- Add half of the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. Repeat with the second half. Do not over-mix or the cake may become tough.
- Fold the blueberries into the cake mixture. Feel free to smash some of them with a fork to give the cake color and texture.
- For the streusel: Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter, 1/3 packed cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/3 cup flour, and a generous pinch of salt to a small bowl. Mix together with a fork until crumbly.
- Grease an 8" springform pan (or regular round cake pan) with butter. Pour the batter into the pan and level the top. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cake evenly.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour. The top should become golden as it bakes. Test the cake by poking the middle with a toothpick. The toothpick should come out clean when finished baking.
- Cool slightly before serving.
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