Blackberry buckle is a classic streusel topped, soft and buttery cake full of fresh blackberries. This is a great summertime recipe for using ripe berries!
Blackberry Buckle
What is a blackberry buckle? A blackberry buckle is a classic summertime dessert – a streusel topped, soft and buttery cake full of fresh blackberries. It is very similar to a coffee cake, although buckles almost always contain fruit. It is also similar to a fruit cobbler, but differs as the fruit is mixed in with the batter in a cobbler and in a buckle, the fruit is spooned on top of the batter prior to baking and the batter then buckles around the fruit while baking. Hence the name, buckle!
How to Make This Recipe
This blackberry buckle was adapted from a cookbook in my vintage collection dating to the 1960’s. It is a perfect summertime recipe for blackberries and is simple to make.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- buttermilk
- fresh blackberries
- ground nutmeg
To make this buckle, half of the butter is creamed together with half of the granulated sugar using a mixer. Then, a large egg and vanilla extract are mixed in, followed by the sifted dry ingredients that are alternated with buttermilk. The batter is then spread into a standard 8″ square baking dish and the blackberries are sprinkled on top. The remaining butter is cut into the remaining sugar, flour and a pinch of nutmeg is added to create the streusel topping which is then sprinkled on top of the berries before baking. Once baked, the buckle is served warm and is great served with freshly whipped cream.
Tips for Blackberry Buckle
- If you don’t have blackberries, you can substitute any type of summer berry
- Frozen berries can also be substituted for this recipe
- Store buckle in an airtight container for up to 3 days
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Want more summer fruit recipes?
Blackberry Buckle
Equipment
- 8" square baking dish
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- mixing bowls of various sizes
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
- Cream ¼ cup of the butter and ½ cup of the granulated sugar together with a mixer.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla.
- Sift 1 cup of the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Spread batter into a greased 8” square baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries over the batter.
- Combine the remaining sugar, flour and nutmeg. Cut in the remainder of the butter until crumbly; then sprinkle crumble topping over the berries.
- Bake 40-45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.
Notes
- If you don’t have blackberries, you can substitute any type of summer berry
- Frozen berries can also be substituted for this recipe
- Store buckle in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Makes 8 large slices or 12 small slices