Family Fave: Blueberry Buckle
A Family Favorite Blueberry Buckle Cake
I have a number of baked family favorite recipes that I have made for almost as long as my oldest child’s age! Brace yourself, here comes how many years I have been baking for my family….42 years!
However, Blueberry Buckle was not a recipe I heard about until the 1998 second edition of Rise & Dine America Savory Secrets from America’s Bed & Breakfast Inns was published and released. I always wanted to own a Bed & Breakfast so I was quick to buy cookbooks that claimed to have a collection of what I would bake at my future B&B. Well, that vision never came forth but I kept the love for heritage hand-me-down recipes.
The Blueberry Buckle is a "forgotten recipe" in our modern times. It does not receive the raving reviews that it deserves since New York Sour Cream Coffee Cake took over! I will confess that the buckle is favored over the newbie-on-the-block coffee cake on may palate!
So what’s up with the name BUCKLE? As a buckle bakes the fruit and streusel stay on top so the cake “buckle” in the center. Whew ~ your blueberry did not “fall” it buckled.
My buckle is studded with blueberries, but by definition a buckle consists of any berry or soft fruit and cake baked together, with a streusel topping.
Enjoy this not-to-sweet fruited streusel treat!
Soooo as I write this recipe we are at the beginning of the Covid-19 "Safer Home" mandates. All of a sudden I respect every ingredient I buy. I am totally conscious of "no waste" and so my shriveled blueberries that were lost in the back of the refrigerate found a very happy home in my buckle. I was even so resourceful to take the crumbs from last week's New York Sour Cream Crumb Cake and mixed them in my streusel topping. WOW that's resourceful! So of course when you make the buckle make it your own and add this or that. Example: you don't have a lemon but have an orange...go for it. You don't have vanilla extract so you leave it out or add orange or almond extract instead. You get the picture ~ the Covid-19 substitution plan has been executed. Stay safe ~
Stay Healthy ~ Bake at Home!
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Merry’s Blueberry Buckle
Batter 3/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup canola oil 1 egg
3/4 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional
1/4-1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen
Crumb Topping: 1/3 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup salted butter
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease a 9 x 9-inch.
In a large bowl, cream sugar, oil, egg, milk, nutmeg, and lemon zest until fluffy.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the sugar mixture, alternating with milk mixing just until combined. Do not beat.
Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold into batter and spread in prepared pan.
Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs over batter. Bake 45-50 minutes if using fresh berries. Bake 30-35 minutes if using canned or frozen blueberries.
Yields: 9 servings.
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