Blueberry Buckle
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 1, 2011
Time
2 hours, plus 1 hour cooling
Yield
Serves 8 to 10 (Makes one 9-inch cake)
Ingredients
Streusel
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 ½ ounces/71 grams)½ cup packed light brown sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)2 tablespoons granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch table salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still coolCake
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ¼ stick), softened but still cool⅔ cup granulated sugar (about 4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs, room temperature4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces/567 grams), picked overBefore You Begin
A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffeecake with a streusel topping. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. If you'd like to serve the buckle as dessert, consider a vanilla ice cream or whipped cream accompaniment (see related recipe for Cream Cheese Whipped Cream). Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Instructions
- In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.
- Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).
- Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.
for the streusel
for the cake
Time
2 hours, plus 1 hour coolingYield
Serves 8 to 10 (Makes one 9-inch cake)Ingredients
Streusel
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 ½ ounces/71 grams)
½ cup packed light brown sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool
Cake
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ¼ stick), softened but still cool
⅔ cup granulated sugar (about 4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces/567 grams), picked over
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Streusel
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 ½ ounces/71 grams)
½ cup packed light brown sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool
Cake
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ¼ stick), softened but still cool
⅔ cup granulated sugar (about 4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces/567 grams), picked over
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Streusel
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 ½ ounces/71 grams)
½ cup packed light brown sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool
Cake
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ¼ stick), softened but still cool
⅔ cup granulated sugar (about 4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces/567 grams), picked over
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Too much fruit can make for a heavy, gummy blueberry buckle recipe, so although we used an ample amount of blueberries in our buckle, we built extra structure into the batter, making it more like cookie dough, to support them. We used all-purpose flour, eliminated dairy products, and added baking powder to supplement the natural leavening provided by creamed butter and sugar.
Before You Begin
A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffeecake with a streusel topping. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. If you'd like to serve the buckle as dessert, consider a vanilla ice cream or whipped cream accompaniment (see related recipe for Cream Cheese Whipped Cream). Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Instructions
- In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.
- Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).
- Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.
for the streusel
for the cake
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