Blueberry Buckle

Blueberry buckle recipe, an old-fashioned single layered cake, peppered with blueberries, and topped with a streusel topping.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated January 06, 2023
Elise Bauer
Blueberry Buckle
Elise Bauer

Have you ever had blueberry buckle?

Think blueberry muffin meets coffee cake and you'll be somewhere in the vicinity of a blueberry buckle.

It's a blueberry cake with a dense batter and a streusel topping that "buckles" as the cake cooks.

My father, the baker in this family, first introduced me to blueberry buckles years ago, from an old newspaper recipe clipping. According to the clipping the recipe is originally from the now out-of-print, but highly regarded Lee Bailey's Country Desserts.

The recipe has long become on of our family favorites. I mean, who wouldn't like a giant blueberry muffin coffee cake?

Blueberry Buckle
Updated from the recipe archive, first posted 2005!. Elise Bauer

Updated from the recipe archive, first posted 2005!

Blueberry Buckle

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 70 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 8 servings

Make sure your baking powder is fresh and still active. To test, put a teaspoon of baking powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle with a little warm water. If the baking powder is still good it will bubble up. (See The Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info.)

Ingredients

  • Cake ingredients:
  • 2 cups (260 g) all purpose flour (plus 1-2 Tbsp of flour for dusting the blueberries)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 57 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
  • 1 pint (550 ml) blueberries
  • Topping ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (45 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Special Equipment

  • 1 (8-inch) springform pan

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter the inside of an 8-inch springform pan. Set aside.

  2. Whisk together the 2 cups of flour, the baking powder and the salt in a medium bowl.

  3. Using a stand mixer (or by hand with a wooden spoon) beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg.

  4. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk. Toss the berries with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour (to separate and scatter evenly throughout the batter) and fold in. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.

    blueberry-buckle-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    blueberry-buckle-method-2
    Elise Bauer

  5. Combine ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon) for topping with a fork (or by hand) to make crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this over the batter.

    blueberry-buckle-method-3
    Elise Bauer
    blueberry-buckle-method-4
    Elise Bauer

  6. Bake for one hour, then test for doneness by gently inserting a fork. If it does not come out clean, give the cake another 5 to 10 minutes to bake.

  7. When the cake has cooled, run a knife around the edges and lift the cake out of the pan.

Blueberry Buckle
Elise Bauer