Blueberry Buckle is a deliciously moist cake, packed with fresh blueberries and topped with a buttery streusel topping. Add a sweet-tart lemon syrup for a burst of lemony flavor that compliments this classic American dessert and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser!
Home Baked Buckle has been in the United States for centuries, which leads many to believe it was developed by the early colonists. You’ll still find Buckle is extremely popular in New England, where it is often made with blueberries, which is what I chose for delicious homemade buckle!
While blueberry buckle is the classic version, the dessert can also be made with peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and any other fresh fruit available. You can even mix several types of fruit in your buckle.
The base of the buckle consists of a rich cake batter, which is sprinkled with fresh fruit. Some cooks prefer to split their batter, layering half in the bottom of the pan and mixing the other half with the fruit before pouring it in.
The fruit batter is topped with a streusel mixture. During the baking process, the cake batter rises up around the fruit, encasing the fruit in batter and causing the streusel to buckle, creating a distinctive crinkly appearance.
What Ingredients do I need to make a Blueberry Buckle?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Blueberry Buckle. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How do I make a Streusel Topping?
- Place the very cold butter, sugar, flour and oats into a mixing bowl.
- Using your hands, mix until all the butter has been blended in making peas size crumbs. Set in Refrigerator until needed
How do I make Blueberry Buckle?
- Add the butter, sugar, and lemons zest to the bowl of your mixer.
- Cream the ingredients together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating.
- Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add half the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture
- Mix just enough to incorporate the flour.
- Add the Greek yogurt to the bowl.
- Mix the yogurt in just enough to incorporate.
- Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing just enough so it’s barely incorporated (there will still be dry bits of unincorporated flour)
- Add the blueberries to the batter.
- Using a flexible spatula, fold the blueberries into the mixture. Be careful not to overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
- Add the topping over the batter and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Or until the buckle is lightly browned on top and feels just set in the center. It should spring back lightly when you touch the center.
- When the buckle is almost finished baking, make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking it until it thickens. It should take about 5 minutes. Don’t allow the syrup to brown.
Remove the buckle from the oven and pour the warm lemon syrup over it, letting it soak in.
Serve the Blueberry Buckle warm from the oven and if you’re feeling decadent try a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream with it.
Recipe FAQ’s
Blueberry Buckle is called “buckle” because the batter rises as it bakes and the weight of the berries and crumb topping weigh it down, causing the surface of the cake to have a buckled appearance.
A buckle is a cake that has fruit mixed into the batter, while a coffee cake usually refers to a single layer cake without fruit and topped with the same streusel topping.
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Blueberry Buckle with a Lemon Syrup
Ingredients
Topping
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed and chilled
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup oats
Batter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup Greek yogurt full-fat at room temperature
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Lemon Syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice or lime juice
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- Butter a 9-inch (23cm) square cake pan.
Topping
- Mix very cold butter, sugar, flour and oats with your hands until all is well mixed with peas size crumbs. Set in Refrigerator until needed
Batter
- Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. (by hand with a wooden spoon or using an electric mixer)
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium-sized bowl.
- Add half the flour mixture to the creamed, mixing just enough to incorporate
- Add Greek yogurt, mixing in just enough to incorporate
- Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing just enough so it’s barely incorporated (there will still be dry bits of unincorporated flour)
- Using a flexible spatula, fold the blueberries into the mixture. Being careful not to overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
- Add the topping over the batter and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Or until the buckle is lightly browned on top and feels just set in the center. It should spring back lightly when you touch the center.
- When the buckle is almost finished baking, make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking it until it thickens. It should take about 5 minutes. Don't allow the syrup to brown.
- Remove the buckle from the oven and pour the warm lemon syrup over it, letting it soak in.
- Serve buckle slightly warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or home made whipped cream.
Andrea Janssen
Who doesn’t love blueberry cake! I’m a huge fan. Never had it with a crumble though, but I’m going to try it for sure.
Nicole
Love this! The blueberry and key lime mix is perfect.
Sara LaFountain
OMG we made this for dessert tonight and it was SO GOOD! I might have had seconds when the kids weren’t looking.
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the buckle Sara and thanks for the great review!
Catalina
I am drooling over this blueberry buckle. My new favorite one!
Marysa
I have never made a buckle before, and it sounds delicious. We love going blueberry picking in the summer, and it would be a great way to use up all those berries.
heather
This buckle is delicious! I love the addition of key lime syrup! Gives it such an amazing flavor.
Bruce DeMustchine
Two of my favorite flavors, blueberry and lemon. I noticed you have a blueberry lemon cake as well that I’ll have to make.
Thanks, chef… I’m looking forward to perusing the rest of your websites recipe gems 👍🏼
Beth
This looks so delicious! Although I don’t enjoy cooking dinner that much, I love to bake. I’ll make this once I can get all the ingredients!
Liz
Absolutely drooling at these pictures! I look forward to making this before quarantine is over.
Terri Steffes
My grandmother made blueberry buckle for us my entire life but NEVER with key lime syrup. I can imagine how delicious that would be. I have to try this.
Pam Wattenbarger
That would be a great dessert for when the blueberries on our tree ripen. I can’t wait to make this with our homegrown blueberries.
Michelle | Bliss from Balance
I’ve never heard of a “buckle” until now. It looks delicious though and something to add to the baking list!
Tasheena
This would be perfect to make for my family to have for breakfast or even as a snack.
Rena
I love blueberries but had never heard of blueberry buckle before.
Sarah Bailey
I have had such a sweet tooth craving time at the moment and this sounds like it would absolutely amazing! My mouth is salivating at just the idea!
Amber Myers
I am drooling. This looks incredible. I just love blueberries, so this is the perfect dessert for me.
melissa chapman
I had never heard of buckle before but it makes sense. It does look so good and I love blueberries. I do not usually bake but this looks worth the effort.
Jen
That looks tasty! I’ve had a major sweet tooth lately and have been trying hard not to give in too much
Laura Dembowski
I make blueberry buckle every summer but I never thought to add a glaze. Excited to try that.
Chef Dennis Littley
It was really a nice touch Laura. I originally thought it would seep into the cake, but it pretty much all stayed on the topping.
D Duffy
I have never heard of Buckle – it looks amazing! Mayne similar to Frangipane? I will have to try it!
Chef Dennis Littley
Let me know if you get to try it, It’s quite a bit different from frangipane.