This Blueberry Buckle is a flavorful cake that has a delicious buttery flavor, with juicy berries and a tasty crumble on top! Enjoy as a breakfast with a cup of coffee, or a sweet treat later in the day with a glass of cold milk!
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Classic Blueberry Buckle
Years ago, when my family lived in Seattle, we would take the kids blueberry picking. My kids would eat their way through the fields as my hubby and I quickly filled buckets up of juicy berries.
Once home, we would make breads, cobblers, cakes, and more! The best part about hand-picked berries were the size and juiciness. I always scoped out the largest, most vibrant looking berries and added them to the bucket. Sometimes, the berries were the size of quarters. YES, blueberries that big! Crazy, right? Grocery store berries just haven’t looked the same to me since those days!
Not only would we use the berries in lots of parfaits, smoothies, baked goods, and sweet treats; but we also would freeze the rest for a later date and pull them out when needed.
The most frequent way we used up our blueberries was by making this Classic Buckle. So moist, fluffy, and flavor packed!
What is a buckle?
A buckle is a single-layer cake with berries or cut-up fruit in the batter. As the cake bakes, it rises around the fruit giving it a “buckled” appearance. It has more batter than fruit and tastes like a coffee cake.
Typically, dense in texture and topped with a crumble or streusel. Buckles can be served for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an anytime snack.
Ingredients needed for Blueberry Buckle
Using a few pantry staples, this buckle comes together in no time and is perfect for any occasion. For complete ingredient amounts and directions, check the recipe card out at the bottom of this post.
Cake
- Sugar- adds just the right amount of sweetness
- Shortening- adds moisture and gives this a nice, rich flavor
- Egg- binds everything together
- Flour– I use all-purpose flour as it gives this buckle a nice and fluffy texture! If you want a finer crumb, you can use cake flour instead.
- Baking Powder- gives it that nice, fluffy texture
- Salt- enhances flavor
- Milk- helps add moisture
- Blueberries- adds juicy goodness to each bite
Topping
- Sugar- adds the sweetness, you can also use brown sugar or 1/2 of each
- Cinnamon- a warm spice that boosts the overall topping flavor
- Butter- I use unsalted butter
How to make a Blueberry Buckle
With just a few simple steps, this cake is ready to serve in no time! Enjoy fresh from the oven or reheat in the microwave!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
CAKE
- Beat 3/4 cup sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, beat well.
- Stir together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition.
- Spread in a greased 8×8 inch baking pan. Top with blueberries.
TOPPING
- Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon; cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberries.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Blueberry Buckle Tips and Tricks
- Fresh blueberries are best. They are the juiciest versus frozen. Toss them with a spoonful of flour to keep them evenly distributed throughout the cake.
- Frozen berries work, just be sure to add a few minutes to the baking time.
- Don’t overmix as this can cause the cake to be too dense and rubbery tasting.
- You can easily swap out blueberries for other berries like blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries. It also tastes great with peaches or cherries!
- Carefully fold in the blueberries as they can turn the batter purple if not careful.
- If you prefer muffins, use a muffin tin and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
Storage Tips
This buckle is best enjoyed fresh from the oven as that is when its warm and melts in your mouth. However, you can also store this in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. To reheat, place piece in microwave for about 30 seconds. You can even spread some butter on top once warmed!
How to Serve Blueberry Buckle
This can be served whenever and however you prefer, but my go-to preference is breakfast/brunch. Nothing tastes better than a piece of this buckle with a cup of coffee in the morning!
You can serve this warm, or at room temperature. If being served as a sweet treat, you can add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top of a dollop of whipped cream. Perhaps even some additional fruit.
More Blueberry Recipes you’ll love
Blueberry Quick Bread– moist quick bread loaded with fresh blueberries and topped with a sprinkle of sugar for some crunch
Incredible Blueberry Streusel Muffins– soft, fluffy, and full of juicy blueberry goodness
Cast Iron Blueberry Cobbler– a Southern favorite that is delicious and quick to make
Banana Blueberry Crumb Cake– loaded with blueberries and overripe bananas. No mixer needed for this quick, easy recipe.
Blueberry and Banana Baked Oatmeal– easy to make and perfect for a quick, healthy breakfast or snack throughout the week
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Classic Blueberry Buckle
Equipment
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups flour *all purpose
- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups blueberries
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking pan.
CAKE
- Beat 3/4 cup sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, beat well.
- Stir together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition.
- Spread in a greased 8×8 inch baking pan. Top with blueberries.
TOPPING
- Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon; cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberries.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Bonnie Olson
Can frozen blueberries be used and if so, do you decrease any amounts of liquid?
Kristin
Absolutely! No need to change any amount of ingredients! Enjoy!
Kristin and Adriana
Yes!! You can use blackberries in place of the blueberries 🙂
Karen R.
Could blackberries be substituted for the blueberries? We always have a lot of blackberries from our garden and am looking for new ways to use them!
Kristin and Adriana
Hi! Shortening is a semi-solid type of fat, you can also use applesauce in its place as a healthier alternative. 🙂
Anonymous
I live in the UK could you please text me what shortening Is?
Cindys Recipes and Writings
Love blueberry everything! Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday!
Joanne DiPalo
This recipe looks delicious and perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch. Like Frank, I would definitely be adding ice cream, oh so good!!!!.
Thanks for sharing this with Foodie Friends Friday.
A FFF co-host,
Joanne/Winelady Cooks
Kristin and Adriana
Oh great idea with the ice cream!! Let us know if you try it and what you think, : )
Frank Dixon
This looks delicious! I see myself having this with some vanilla ice cream this summer! Very nice recipe!
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