Recipe: Blueberry Buckle

Photo borrowed from thespicedlife.com

I think berry season is my favorite part of the summer--strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries (try them, they're AMAZING), blackberries, whatever.  I'm there, I'm stained red and blue and I'm happy.

So, I'm thrilled that blueberries were on sale a few weeks ago (from CA, but I couldn't help myself) so I could make a blueberry buckle for my co-worker's office wedding shower.

Blueberry buckle is one of those desserts/breakfasts/snacks that reminds me of childhood.  My grandparents had blueberry bushes which my sister, cousins and I spent a lot of time picking, and someone was always making something with berries.  My mother makes a mean buckle, but I did modify her recipe a little bit to suit the lack of Crisco in my pantry (mmm, butter).

Also, if you're wondering exactly what a buckle is, it's like a coffee cake, but with a band or "belt" of berries going through the middle.  I simplified for this recipe and just put all of the topping on top, but it's definitely prettier if you have the patience to split the cake batter into two layers.

Blueberry Buckle--makes 16 servings

Oven: 350F

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 45 minutes

Creamed sugar, butter, and egg

Cake

1/2 cup butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Thoroughly cream shortening and cup sugar - add egg and beat till light and fluffy.  Sift together flour, baking power and salt- add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.  Spread in well-greased tube pan.

Topping

Batter before topping

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter (cold)

Mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Gently mix in berries and sprinkle over top of cake  Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before trying to remove from the pan.  When mostly cool, slip a knife around the outside edge of the pan.  Place a small bowl or short glass inverted on the counter and use that to help you remove the cake from the outer ring. Then run your knife along the inside edge and under the cake to loosen.  It should lift off the tube easily--if not, run the knife around again.

Pre-baking

Cut into 16 wedges and serve.

You can wrap and freeze whole cakes and portions as well--keeps for about 3 months without issues.  To defrost, just let sit on your counter for a few hours.

*Please note: the title image on this post has been borrowed from http://www.thespicedlife.com/2008/07/blueberry-buckle.html.  This is because I didn't have time to take a photo before all sixteen pieces were eaten!