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Lemon Glazed Blueberry Buckle

Heidi Larsenby Updated: Mar 12, 2025

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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.

sliced Blueberry Buckle cake with Lemon Glaze

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!

carton of fresh blueberries
A cookbook surrounded by cake ingredients

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It is PACKED with blueberries. 2 ยฝ 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.
A sliced blueberry buckle cake topped with lemon glaze

What’s In This Blueberry Buckle?

  • Unsalted butter โ€” Bring the butter to room temperature before starting this recipe.
  • Sugar โ€” The buckle uses the full trifecta of sugars; there’s granulated in the cake, brown in the streusel, and powdered in the glaze.
  • Egg โ€” A must for most cake recipes.
  • Milk โ€” 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 โ€” Check the expiration date to make sure it’ll do what it’s intended to.
  • All-purpose flour โ€” 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 โ€” Don’t swap with frozen blueberries, as they’ll leech extra moisture into the cake and increase the bake time dramatically.
  • Ground cinnamon โ€” Adds warmth to the crumbly streusel.
  • Lemon โ€” You’ll be using both the juice and zest, so buy a fresh lemon.
  • Vanilla extract โ€” Just ยผ teaspoon flavors the glaze.
  • Greek yogurt โ€” I prefer vanilla-flavored for the glaze, but plain works too.
Mixing bowl with cake batter, fresh blueberries, and a spatula

How to Make Blueberry Buckle

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Bake. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter, then bake the blueberry buckle until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  4. Make the lemon glaze. Once the blueberry buckle has cooled completely, drizzle the glaze over top before slicing and serving.
unbaked blueberry buckle coffee cake ready to be baked

FAQs

What exactly is blueberry buckle?

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.

Can this recipe be doubled?

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.

Can frozen blueberries be used?

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.

Overhead view of sliced blueberry buckle cake, with a few pieces missing

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.

slice of Blueberry Buckle with Lemon Glaze

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

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 Recipe with Lemon Glaze from foodiecrush.com on foodiecrush.com
4.66 from 38 votes

Blueberry Buckle with Lemon Glaze

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.
Print
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry buckle, blueberry buckle coffee cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 16 2-inch squares
Calories 329kcal

Ingredients 

For the cake

  • ยฝ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • ยพ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ยฝ cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ยฝ cups fresh blueberries

For the topping

  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ยฝ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , cut into pieces at room temperature

For the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ยฝ lemon , add more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons honey or vanilla-flavored greek yogurt , optional
  • ยผ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Batter:

  • Preheat the oven to 375ยบF. 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

This recipe was adapted from Annie Falk’s Hamptons Entertaining: Creating Occasions to Remember cookbook.ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 394IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
pieces blueberry buckle turned on their sides

More Easy Cake Recipes to Try

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.66 from 38 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  2. Flora Sensations

    5 stars
    This recipe has everything I love in a baked treatโ€”fresh blueberries, a crunchy topping, and the brightness of lemon glaze.

    Reply

  5. Elizabeth

    5 stars
    I made this last year for my family and they lost their minds!!! Beyond delish!! I’m making it for Mother’s Day this year and hope to repeat my success. Thank you!!

    Reply

  6. Natalie

    I made this is morning and it is delicious! Pairs well with coffee. I felt so special this morning drinking my coffee and eating a slice (okay two slices ) of this blueberry delight. Such an amazing treat, thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  7. Chris

    Since I always bake for a minimum of 8 people, I’d really like to make this in a 9″ x 13″ pan. Do you think it would work if I added 50% to the ingredients (made a 1-1/2 size recipe)? Obviously, the baking time would be a little different, but I can handle that part.

    Reply

  8. Janice Gilreath

    5 stars
    I made it yesterday, it was delish! I did mess up the drizzle glaze, but it tastes great, just not as pretty. *I misunderstood the โ€œhoney or vanilla yogurtโ€. And I used honey rather than yogurt.

    Reply

  10. Amb

    Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve never made a coffee cake before and just came out so wonderful and perfect! I followed everything to the letter, the only thing I would change is adding the topping in at the last 20 or 30 minutes as it came out too hard in areas. I’d like to also salute you on the lemon icing topping, it was so amazing and went perfectly. I opted for honey rather than yogurt.

    Reply

  11. Kristel

    Holy WOW! I made this for Utah’s Pie and Beer Day Celebration today July 24th! Delicious! Perfectly moist. The lemon drizzle was so worth skipping breakfast, oh my! Thank you so much for posting. I live at 7K ft, and it’s perfect. I baked for 50 minutes in a springform round pan. Perfect.

    P.S. I have a great photo if you’d like me to send it?

    Reply

  13. Alma Sample

    This was very good and brought back memories. Nice crumb, not too sweet, light and moist, this was a lovely and easy dessert. It would be great with other fruit, such as peaches or apples :)

    Reply

  21. Vivian

    This recipe is delicious. I baked it in a glass pan and baked it for 60 minutes. The lemon complements the cake perfectly.

    Reply

  22. Teresa

    I made the buckle tonight and I used the 8×8 pan and cooked it for 50 minutes. The center was not quite done so would recommend using a little bit larger pan or cook it 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. It was absolutely delicious. A recipe for my collection.

    Reply

  23. vivian

    I made this tonight for our Sunday dinner dessert and it was absolutely delicious. I made it lactose free by substituting Earth Balance for the butter and almond milk for the milk and it turned out wonderfully. The batter was very thick, which made it impossible to pour into the baking pan, but I scooped it out of the bowl and mashed it into the pan fairly evenly, and it all came out great in the end. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  24. Ana

    Made this today and it immediately got rave reviews from my husband! I love all of the blueberries and the crumble is some of the best I’ve made. The lemon glaze is just icing on the cake (no pun intended). Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  26. Josiane Gomes

    Hello!

    I was really glad to see this recipe because when I saw the picture I realized it is very similar to one we have here in Brazil, which is called “cuque de uva” or “cuca de uva”, depending on the region. Instead of using blueberries, we use ives grapes, they also make the cake taste really delicious! We just don’t make the glaze, but the rest is almost the same! And now I am curious to try it with blueberries!

    Thank you!

    Reply

  28. Anna

    I just made this for breakfast and it is AMAZING! So moist and delicious. I didn’t have whole milk so I used buttermilk instead. I also baked it in an 8×8 pan. Mine needed to cook for about 55-60 minutes. My husband isn’t a huge fan of blueberries but the topping completely won him over. This is definitely and keeper! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  29. Joanne Morton

    Is there any reason frozen blueberries wouldn’t work for this recipe? I still have some in the freezer that I picked last summer and would like to use them up.

    Reply

  31. alison

    I made this recipe very soon after seeing it in my inbox. Wow! REALLY REALLY YUMMY. My son had a friend sleep over so I made it the night before so it could go in the oven as soon as we got up [I looked forwarding to the wonderful smells as it baked.] Both boys came back for 2nds. Will put this in my permanent recipe collection! 2 thumbs up!!!

    Reply

  32. Cyndy

    O M G, this looks wonderful and I have a whole lot of blueberries to work with. I love that you did a glaze instead of a sauce on top. Definitely Delicious. I’ll be making this soon!

    Reply

  37. Traci | Vanilla And Bean

    Oh… I know…. blueberry season isn’t quite here yet either.. I’ve another month to go yet, but that hasn’t stopped me from buying em’ up from California farmers! I think I’ve been dreaming about this buckle lately! The lemon glaze was a fabulous change.. I agree! Thank you for this, Heidi and all the other delicious recipes you’ve included here! So much to choose from! :D

    Reply

  42. Becky

    I’m a big fan of anything with buckle in the title! I made a peach buckle last year that I could easily eat the whole pan of. Any excuse to have cake for breakfast ;) And that cookbook sounds so fun!!

    Reply

  43. Shawn@ I Wash You Dry

    This recipe is awesome. I already love blueberries, and I love that there are so many! A lot of recipes don’t ever have that much. I might try a little of both glazes, they both sound good. Hm. Decisions decisions.

    Reply

  44. Cecile @ My Yellow Farmhouse

    I, too, am not a huge fan of fresh blueberries – unless they’re wild ’cause to me they’re the sweetest. What a great variation of good old Blueberry Buckle – I love the idea of the lemon glaze and lots and lots of blueberries!! ; o )

    Reply

  49. Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog

    You picked around the blueberries? They’re the best part of fruit salads ;) I love these crumb bars. I’m such a sucker for new cookbooks, I think I’m in dangerous need of a new shelf to hold all of them lol. My favorite thing to make in the summers is definitely fresh fruit desserts – I make this one citrus torte and then pile it high with fresh fruit and a honey glaze, it’s super yummy, but crumb bars, crisps and cobblers come in a close second :)

    Reply

  50. Liz @ Floating Kitchen

    Oh man does this look good. I am a huge lover of fresh blueberries. So much so that it’s hard to for me to bake with them because I’ve usually eaten them all during the drive home from the grocery store. I’m going to have to stash a few away to make this buckle! XO

    Reply

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