Maylee at Beyond Gumbo 
Fresh blueberries are great any time of the year; I especially enjoy picking blueberries from by own backyard bushes. In my opinion, these backyard blueberries have more aromatic flavor than the blueberries purchased from a grocery store. So if you have a chance to “pick your own blueberries,” go for it. Today I am making a “Blueberry Buckle” which is a simple coffee cake filled with lots of fresh blueberries and topped with a crunchy streusel topping. I added in a few walnut pieces. They give a flavor and help accent the nice “pop” from the blueberries. This cake is delicious!
Blueberry Buckle Cake Recipe
A “Blueberry Buckle” is a type of coffee cake. The name is derived from the fact that the cake batter “buckles” around the blueberries as the cake bakes. This recipe includes a streusel topping, so it doesn’t need another icing. The coffee cake is great for breakfast, brunch, dessert or just a snack any time of the day. It is moist and flavorful. The cake is not difficult to make; but I do use an electric mixer to mix the batter in the traditional method of making a cake from scratch.
I kept several of my mother’s old cookbooks when we sorted and cleared out our family home. Our parents were the ultimate “pack rats.” Sure enough, “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book” dating from 1950, first edition, includes a recipe for “Blueberry Buckle.” I guess a good cake recipe is timeless! I used this recipe as the starting point for my own variation.
Here are the ingredients for my “Blueberry Buckle.” I added walnuts (which I chopped up) to this cake, but this is really an optional ingredient. I also added vanilla extract for flavor. My final recipe included only one egg, too, and half a stick of butter.
The recipe follows the instructions for making a typical homemade cake:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together (I don’t skip this step, as sifting helps distribute these ingredients together),
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer,
3. Add the eggs and beat,
4. Mix in the flour/baking powder/salt alternately with the milk — just until mixed; don’t over-beat,
5. Fold in the blueberries and chopped walnuts (optional) and pour into an oiled 8″ x 8″ cake pan or casserole dish.6.
6. Mix up the streusel topping by blending flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over cake.
7.Bake until the cake is set.
If the streusel topping still has some dry areas after baking, I spray it with a little PAM cooking spray when the cake comes out of the oven. The cake is still hot, the cooking spray blends in and moistens the topping.
Let the Blueberry Buckle cool slightly, use a knife to loosen around edges and cut into pieces. I don’t try to remove this cake from the pan — if would fall apart. The cake is crumbly and delicious!
I think you will like this old-fashioned cake recipe. Enjoy!
Blueberry Buckle
Ingredients for streusel topping:
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, cut in slices
Ingredients for cake:
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, sorted and drained
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
- PAM Nonstick Cooking Spray
Instructions and Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8″ x 8″ casserole dish. (Alternatively, oil a 9″ x 9″ baking pan.)
- Prepare streusel topping: Using two forks or knives, blend flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of electric mixer at medium speed, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg and blend in. Scrape down sides.
- Add in vanilla extract.
- In another medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- On low speed of mixer, add in flour mixture, alternating with milk, and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined.
- Fold in by hand, fresh blueberries and chopped walnuts (if using). Spread into oiled casserole dish or baking pan.
- Sprinkle streusel topping over batter.
- Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven to wire rack. If some of the streusel topping is still dry, spray with PAM Nonstick Cooking Spray.
- Cool on wire rack until cake can be handled. Use a knife to loosen edges. Cut into 4 x 3 crosswise pieces. Serve warm.
I have my mother’s Betty Crocker Cookbook. I still use it and have made this recipe often. Thanks for sharing it.
Hello, Yes, this is an absolutely great blueberry recipe! Love it. And I have never tired of using this Betty Crocker Cookbook. It has all the basic recipes you ever need. Glad to hear someone else still has it, too.
Your blueberry buckle takes me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. She used to make something similar (or perhaps the same, given that it is Betty Crocker), and hers looked exactly like yours, right down to the dainty plate! It was the kind of thing she made when company came over.
Mmm, now I want some! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog. This old-fashioned cake didn’t last long at our home. Hope you enjoy it.