Old fashioned blueberry buckle is a timeless kitchen favorite with real rustic charm. Essentially a tender and buttery cake studded with juicy blueberries and covered in a sweet streusel topping, it's a classic that has truly stood the test of time. There are few things more welcoming than a generously sliced square of blueberry buckle served alongside a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea. And it's one of those traditional recipes that is not only irresistible, but also a breeze to prepare. Enjoy it for brunch, an afternoon treat, or just about anytime.
![Slice of blueberry buckle served on a small white plate.](https://secretkitchensociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Blueberry-Buckle-served.jpeg)
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Ingredients for Blueberry Buckle
- unsalted butter
- baker's sugar
- egg
- pure vanilla extract
- cake flour
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- whole milk
- fresh blueberries
- ground cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Blueberry Buckle
Heat the oven to 350℉ and grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and unsalted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Then beat with the mixer until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds or so.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until mostly incorporated.
Then add the milk and beat until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.
Add 1 cup of the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter by hand with a silicone spatula.
Then transfer the batter to the greased pan, coax it out to the edges, and smooth the top.
Next sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of blueberries evenly over the top of the batter.
For the topping, combine all of the streusel ingredients in a small bowl.
Then mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and crumbly in texture.
Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the blueberry studded batter.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the top is slightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into generous squares.
Hint: Fresh summer blueberries work best here. As much as I love putting my secret stash of frozen wild blueberries to work whenever possible, they simply don't play very well in this recipe. The thing is this...frozen blueberries have a tendency to release more of their juices than fresh upon baking, and this can really interfere with the moisture balance and beauty of your buckle.
Substitutions
- Short on vanilla extract? It can be omitted, of course. This buckle is also perfectly delicious without it.
- No cake flour? No problem. You can certainly use all purpose flour here. Your buckle will simply be a little less delicate in texture.
- Out of cinnamon? Feel free to substitute some freshly ground nutmeg or ground cloves. (However, for both of these substitutions, I would recommend reducing the spice measurement by half to ¼ teaspoon.)
Equipment
I use an aluminum 9x9 inch square baking pan for this blueberry buckle. (Mine is by Nordic Ware.) You can also use an 8x8 inch, but you will need to slightly extend the baking time.
Storage
When tightly covered with plastic wrap, this blueberry buckle will keep on the counter for 2 to 3 days. (A caveat...if the counter happens to be in an area of your kitchen with any kind of foot traffic, it is unlikely to last that long!)
Related
Looking for more sweet treats like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Buckle
Equipment
- electric mixer
- 9x9 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup baker's sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup baker's sugar
- ⅓ cup cake flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- generous pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350℉ and grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and unsalted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Then beat with the mixer until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds or so.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until mostly incorporated. Then add the milk and beat until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.
- Add 1 cup of the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter by hand with a silicone spatula.
- Transfer the batter to the greased pan, coax it out to the edges, and smooth the top. Then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of blueberries evenly over the top of the batter.
- For the topping, combine all of the streusel ingredients in a small bowl and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and crumbly in texture. Then sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the blueberry studded batter.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the top is slightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into generous squares.
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