This award-winning blueberry buckle is studded with sweet, juicy blueberries and topped with a crumbly streusel and lemon glaze for a sweet breakfast or dessert.
I’m okay with admitting that fresh blueberries have never been a favorite of mine. They were always the loose marbles of the fruit salad that I would pick around in favor of fresh strawberries, chunks of cantaloupe, and definitely give me all of the pineapple.
Times have changed.
Now, I can call myself a lover of the fresh, sweet, juicy blueberry. But I’ll forever be a fan of a good dessert (or breakfast?) treat with blueberries baked right in.
I was recently sent a copy of Annie Falk’s Hamptons Entertaining: Creating Occasions to Remember cookbook. The headnotes to this recipe state that it was created by Kathleen King of Southhampton’s Tate’s Bake Shop.
The recipe won first place for the best blueberry dessert at a competition in the state of Maine, so I was hedging my bets it would be good.
It is. More than good. It is DIVINE!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is PACKED with blueberries. 2 ½ cups worth. No one in your inner circle will complain about this blueberry buckle being short on blueberries.
- The cake batter and streusel topping can be whisked together in the same bowl, one right after the other, which saves you some time cleaning up afterwards.
- Since it’s a coffee cake, the blueberry buckle doubles as both breakfast and dessert.
What’s In This Blueberry Buckle?
- Unsalted butter — Bring the butter to room temperature before starting this recipe.
- Sugar — The buckle uses the full trifecta of sugars; there’s granulated in the cake, brown in the streusel, and powdered in the glaze.
- Egg — A must for most cake recipes.
- Milk — Use whole milk (or at least 2% milk) in this recipe, as it keeps the cake moist. Don’t use skim milk in cake batters, otherwise your cakes will turn out dry.
- Baking powder — Check the expiration date to make sure it’ll do what it’s intended to.
- All-purpose flour — You might want to toss the blueberries in a spoonful of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Fresh blueberries — Don’t swap with frozen blueberries, as they’ll leech extra moisture into the cake and increase the bake time dramatically.
- Ground cinnamon — Adds warmth to the crumbly streusel.
- Lemon — You’ll be using both the juice and zest, so buy a fresh lemon.
- Vanilla extract — Just ¼ teaspoon flavors the glaze.
- Greek yogurt — I prefer vanilla-flavored for the glaze, but plain works too.
How to Make Blueberry Buckle
- Whisk together the cake batter. The butter and sugar are creamed together, then the rest of the ingredients follow suit. Turn into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Make the streusel topping. You can use the same bowl that the cake batter was prepared in. Make the topping by smushing the ingredients together with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse sand.
- Bake. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter, then bake the blueberry buckle until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Make the lemon glaze. Once the blueberry buckle has cooled completely, drizzle the glaze over top before slicing and serving.
FAQs
Blueberry buckle falls under the category of coffee cake, in that it’s a super moist, slightly dense and spongy cake topped with streusel topping and a sweet glaze.
What makes any buckle cake unique is the addition of fresh fruit to the batter. Classic coffee cake is a fruit-free affair, but otherwise the recipes are similar.
Yes, but you’ll still need to bake the lemon blueberry buckle in two separate 8×8-inch pans. If you doubled the ingredients and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan, I’m afraid the cake would overflow as it bakes.
I’ve only made this recipe with fresh blueberries, so I’m not sure if frozen would work here. You’d likely need to thaw them overnight and then strain out any excess liquid to prevent the cake batter from being too runny.
Storage Tips
Leftover cake will last up to 5 days at room temperature, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.
If you think you’ll be freezing any of the cake, do so without the lemon glaze on top.
Heidi’s Tip: You can easily whisk together the glaze after you’ve thawed the frozen cake and are ready to serve it.
Tips for Making Blueberry Buckle
- Buy the best blueberries. Because my farmers market has yet to start (living in the mountains makes for a short growing window), I buy my blueberries at Costco because they are extra big, extra juicy, and powered the packed blueberry effect.
- Adjust the cake’s thickness as desired. I love a thick, tall cake so I baked my cake in an 8×8-inch pan rather than the original recipe’s suggested 9×9. I didn’t have to alter the baking time but as because all ovens bake differently, you’ll want to take note to test for doneness at 45-50 minutes for either pan.
- Add some spice. If desired, you can add a little cinnamon to the cake batter as well as the crumble topping. You won’t need much, but the option is there if you’re a cinnamon fiend.
More Blueberry Desserts to Make
- Blueberry Oatmeal Bread
- Mixed Berry Birthday Cake Pie
- Apple Blueberry Crumble
- The Berry Best Four Berry Pie
- Blueberry Baked Brie
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Blueberry Buckle with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries
For the topping
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , cut into pieces at room temperature
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon , add more if needed
- 2 tablespoons honey or vanilla-flavored greek yogurt , optional
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, milk, baking powder, and salt. Use a hand mixer to mix well.
- Mix in half of the flour, then incorporate the remaining half.
- Fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set it aside.
Make the Topping:
- Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a pastry cutter or your fingers until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake batter.
Bake:
- Bake the buckle for 45-50 minute, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
Make the Lemon Glaze:
- While the cake is baking, whisk the powdered sugar with the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Whisk in the greek yogurt if using, or add more lemon juice to desired consistency.
- Cut the buckle into squares and drizzle with the lemon glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Cake Recipes to Try
- Classic Strawberry Shortcake
- The BEST Carrot Cake
- Confetti Cake with Buttercream Frosting
- Devil’s Food Bundt Cake with Chocolate Espresso Ganache
- German Chocolate Cake
- Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake
- Grilled Strawberry Shortcakes with Balsamic Vinegar
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This post is in partnership with Cache Valley Cheese. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Bakings
I love the recepie, Thanks for sharing such amazing recepie to make the mouth watering cake
Flora Sensations
This recipe has everything I love in a baked treat—fresh blueberries, a crunchy topping, and the brightness of lemon glaze.