This award-winning blueberry buckle recipe is studded with sweet, juicy blueberries and topped with a crumbly streusel and lemon glaze for a sweet breakfast or dessert.
You could say I never got my thrill on blueberry hill. Unless it was baked in a decadent blueberry muffin or my favorite blueberry quick bread.
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.
The nutritional values that blueberries possess were drilled into my head back when my job was designing health food magazines. Every issue had an article or blurb about their merits as a driving force in lowering blood cancer, fighting off the elements due to their antioxidant powers and strengthening bones to keep osteoporosis at bay.
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 cookbook, co-authored by celebrity chef Eric Ripert, centers around themed parties like Dinner on the Dunes and A Soltice Soiree, sharing menus and recipes from some of the Hampton’s elite residents and their guests.
Each page makes me want to move to the seaside and live the life, planning ladies lunches by the pool and evening get togethers at the dock. If only I had a trust fund to make it happen, you’d all be invited.
Until then, I’m living vicariously in my own kitchen while leafing through the pages as if it’s an issue of US magazine, to see the behind-the-scenes-ivy-covered-walled-estates and dreaming of what to make next.
While there are plenty of recipes in the cookbook that one would think more typically represent the Hamptons lifestyle (oh my, how chic!), like Cucumber Cups with Crab Meat and Green Gazpacho Soup with Homemade Croutons, I was looking for a seasonal recipe to make now, and a humble blueberry buckle recipe caught my eye.
Making This Blueberry Buckle Recipe
The headnotes to this recipe state that it was created by Kathleen King of Southhampton’s Tate’s Bake Shop for the Peconic Land Trust fundraiser, an organization in sync with the non-profit The Peconic Baykeeper that author Annie Falk is donating her author proceeds for Hamptons Entertaining to. 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!
One obvious reason: it is PACKED with blueberries. 2 1/2 cups worth. 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.
I followed the recipe without many changes but did make a few adjustments. I love a thick, tall cake so I baked my cake in an 8×8-inch pan rather than her 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.
Instead of dark brown sugar I opted for light and used non-fat milk rather than whole. I didn’t notice a difference at all.
My biggest change to the original recipe is it called for a sour cream drizzle consisting of 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. I imagine this was intended to serve right away as a plated dessert.
Because I wasn’t serving this buckle warm and wanted a more portable bite, I needed a drizzle that would harden a bit as it dried. To do so, I made a powdered sugar, lemon juice glaze with just a bit of vanilla Greek yogurt mixed in and drizzled away. I love lemon and blueberries together. So fresh.
And with that, a seasonal, fresh breakfast—or dessert—is served.
What’s in This Blueberry Buckle?
This blueberry buckle recipe has three main components: the moist cake, the sweet crumble topping, and the tart lemon glaze.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Whole milk
- Baking powder
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Fresh blueberries
- Light brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon zest and juice
- Vanilla extract
- Greek yogurt
How to Make Blueberry Buckle
After being quickly whisked together, the blueberry coffee cake batter gets poured into a greased baking dish and is set aside while the crumble topping is made. You can make the crumble topping by smushing the ingredients together with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse sand.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the batter, then bake the blueberry buckle until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, whisk together the lemon glaze. Once the blueberry buckle has cooled completely, drizzle the glaze over top before slicing and serving.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, but you’ll still need to bake the 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.
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
I’ve only made this recipe with fresh blueberries, so I’m not sure if frozen would work here.
Can I Freeze Blueberry Buckle?
Yes, but you’d want to freeze it without the lemon glaze on top. 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
It’s important that you 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.
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.
Also note that you must let the cake cool completely before slicing into it. If you try to slice the cake while it’s warm, it’ll crumble.
More Blueberry Recipes to Make
- 20-Minute Berry Jam
- Birthday Cake Pie with Chocolate Mousse and Berries
- Apple Blueberry Crumble
- Boozy Blueberry Floats
- The Berry Best Four Berry Pie
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.
Blueberry Buckle Recipe with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
For the topping
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , cut into pieces at room temperature
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon add more if needed
- 2 tablespoons honey or vanilla-flavored greek yogurt optional
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 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 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.
Nutrition
More Homemade Cake Recipes to Try
- 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
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
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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.
