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Blueberry Buckle Recipe – Incredibly Easy To Make

Blueberry Buckle is a tender moist blueberry cake with lemon essence and topped with a sweet streusel that has a light crunch. Your morning coffee is going to beg you for this blueberry breakfast cake.

A 9\" round blueberry buckle cake with a thick browned sugar streusel dotted with blueberries around the bottom sitting on a crystal glass plate over a floral napkin.

Cake for breakfast? Rise up, it’s our right! Lemon Blueberry Buckle for everyone! O.k., I haven’t gone quite off on the deep end but this lemon blueberry cake has me pretty excited.

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know how I love a moist coffee cake. As much as my mother stated she disliked cooking, she had a mean sweet tooth (mine’s genetic!). She would, however, on occasion, whip up a coffee cake and it was always so good.

The rules were a little difficult to grasp for me growing up. Why can I eat this fresh Blueberry Cake for breakfast when my favorite Spice Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting was just for dessert? It’s no wonder I was confused, keep reading!

What is the difference between cake and coffee cake?

The definition of a Coffee Cake is a cake that includes coffee as one of its ingredients or meant to be eaten with coffee. Whereas, a cake is a sweet food often covered in frosting. So, as long as you don’t frost it and you have a cup of coffee you can eat cake for breakfast right? I still think like a 5-year-old when it suits my purpose.

Freaky Friday Spring 2019 banner

This weeks lemon blueberry coffee cake recipe is a part of the #freakyfridayrecipes series that I participate in about 4 times a year. The Freaky Friday blog hop, organized by Michaela who runs An Affair From the Heart, is a group of bloggers that are secretly assigned each others’ blogs from which we choose a recipe appropriate for the theme. It’s so much fun and there are so many quality recipes.

The theme of this blog hop is “Spring” and I was given Michele’s blog, West Via Midwest. Michele used to have Midwest roots and live not all that far from me and boy do I wish we knew each other then! She headed west and in the meantime went to culinary school and is a Sommelier! Talk about an over-achiever!

It’s no wonder we get along. We both love to entertain without the stress and we both love to share food with the people we love.

I must admit that I was a little intimidated when I was given West Via Midwest. She does some amazing main course recipes like her Easy Oven-Baked Ribs and her No-Fail Grilled Lamb Chops. There wasn’t any need to worry though because once I came upon her Blueberry Buckle recipe, I knew that one was just made for me. And so was her Lemon Coconut Cake and her Cherry Pie Bars. Oh heavens, the list goes one. Just check it out for yourself!

What is a Buckle?

According to The Farmers Almanac, the cake earned the name “buckle” because while it bakes, the batter rises, but the berries and crumb topping weigh it down, causing the surface of the cake to buckle.

While I was doing my Buckle research, I looked at several recipes. This recipe has a lot more berries in it than other recipes. I learned quite a few things from Michele too.

Pro Tips:

  • I used fresh berries and folded them in. If you use your mixer and break some of the berries your batter will be tinted.
  • If you use frozen berries rinse any ice crystals from them and dab them dry with a paper towel. The juice from the berries will tint your batter as well.
  • Most of the streusels that I make have you cut in cold butter to get the large crumble. Michele’s method is easier and just as delicious!

You may need:

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  • 9″ Non-stick Springform Pan – You do not need to use a springform pan but I loved how easy it was and it looked so pretty on my serving plate.
  • Electric Stand Mixer – I used this mixer for doing everything in this recipe except folding in the berries. It is my workhorse and I even have the attachments to make pasta and grind meat and nuts with too.
A slice of blueberry buckle showing big berries throughout and topped with an oven-browned streusel topping. The full buckle, a white bowl of blueberries, and a cup of coffee are in the background.

More Blueberry recipes you may enjoy!

A bite of blueberry buckle loaded with berries and streusel

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

A slice of blueberry buckle showing big berries throughout and topped with an oven-browned streusel topping. The full buckle, a white bowl of blueberries, and a cup of coffee are in the background.

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
Blueberry Buckle Recipe is a moist tender coffee cake perfect for any time of the day.  It’s loaded with blueberries and topped with a sweet streusel giving it a light crunch.  
4.94 from 15 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword: Blueberry Buckle
Servings: 8

Ingredients
  

Streusel Topping

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp butter *if you use unsalted add a pinch of salt

Cake

  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (I zested 1 lemon)
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs large
  • 20 oz blueberries approx 3-3/4 to 4 cups

Instructions
 

  • Combine all of the ingredients for the streusel topping except for the butter in the bowl of your mixer.  Mix on low until combined.  Add butter and mix until contents resemble wet sand, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Use soft butter to coat the inside of a 9" cake pan or springform pan and then add 1 tablespoon of flour to dust the inside.  Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine flour and baking powder.  
  • In the bowl of your electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, salt, and zest on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
  • Beat in vanilla, about 30 seconds.
  • Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.  The batter will appear “broken”.
  • On a low speed add four in 2 to 3 increments add the flour beating between each addition until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides and beat until all flour is combined.
  • Fold the blueberries in by hand using a spatula, trying not to break the berries.  The batter will be thick.
  • Add the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  • Take streusel and make approximately marble-sized clumps with your fist and sprinkle on top of batter.  
  • Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.
  • Transfer to a wire rack and let cook at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe was adapted by West Via Midwest https://www.westviamidwest.com/blueberry-buckle-recipe/
The butter in the original recipe is 10 tablespoons.  I used 6. The texture and flavor was amazing.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 217mgPotassium: 210mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 540IUVitamin C: 7.2mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

I have to fess up. The original recipe calls for 10 tablespoons of butter. I had those little 1/2 sticks of butter because they were on sale. I forgot to put one of them in so only used 6 tablespoons of butter. The texture and flavor was delicious. You have the option to use all 10 or reduce it like I mistakenly did.

We absolutely loved this Blueberry Buckle Coffeecake recipe and it’s inspired me to come up with new recipes using this technique too! If you have some inspiration you’d like to see, leave me a note in the comments or drop me an email. I read and respond to all of my correspondence.

Take a look at all of our Spring 2019 Freaky Friday Recipes:

Recipe Rating




Jeanie Malone

Friday 19th of June 2020

Hi, I must eat gluten free and need organic due to finicky mast cells. Do you know if I could use a blend of Bob’s Red Mill one-to-one replacement flour and coconut flour or freshly ground oat flour? Blueberries and oats go do well together as do blueberries and coconut, so I just wonder. I am not a skilled baker in the least sense, but this sounds sooo yummy! I have some blueberries to cook and would like to try this.

Julie Menghini

Friday 19th of June 2020

Hi Jeanie! I have had luck using this flour instead of other flours in bakery such as this but haven't tried it with this recipe. I agree that blueberries and oats go so well together! Give it a try, learning to bake is all about experimenting. Lord knows I've had some epic fails LOL! Let me know how it goes. Our community will thank you!

Deanna

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

Thus blueberry buckle looks amazing!!! I want some with coffee right now!

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

Thank you, Deanna!

Lori V

Monday 29th of April 2019

I love when a dessert is simply bursting with fruity goodness, this one definitely fits the bill.

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

Thank you Lori! We loved it!

Erin Parker

Monday 29th of April 2019

Cake for breakfast? I'm ALL IN! I've never made a buckle before, and that's going to change ASAP because this sounds amazing! And my whole family will love it because who doesn't love a cake with fresh blueberries and lemon?

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

Thank you, Erin! We loved it!

Kylee from Kylee Cooks

Monday 29th of April 2019

I'm so in love with blueberry recipes at this time of year! This looks like one I need to make asap.

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

It was fun and easy to make too!

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