Best Classic Blueberry Buckle Cake Recipe

It’s summer time and time for blueberries! One of my earliest memories of blueberries is when we went to pick them in Michigan. I was probably 3 or 4. I remember getting my own bucket and my Dad said we could eat as many as we wanted as we picked. I remember being amazed by that freedom to pick and eat.

I still love blueberries. All four of my kids do too. Nathan, my oldest, would happily eat them at every meal if I let him! We haven’t eaten them at every meal but we are eating them quite a bit right now. Since blueberries have started going on sale around here, it’s the time of year to stock up. We eat a lot of fresh blueberries and I flash freeze quite a few for baking later.

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When I’m baking with blueberries, my two favorite blueberry recipes are this amazingly simple and delicious blueberry cream cheese layer pie, followed in a close second by this delicious blueberry buckle. I also like a good blueberry muffin but sometimes, you just want something different for breakfast or a blueberry dessert. Here’s where this blueberry breakfast cake comes in.

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A buckle is simply a coffee cake with the addition of fruit. It is an old fashioned recipe that never goes out of style. This easy blueberry buckle cake makes a tasty coffee cake that comes together quickly. It is easy to double and it freezes great. I’m always a fan of freezer recipes!

You can make this recipe with fresh blueberries or frozen, if that is what you have. If you are baking with frozen blueberries, no need to thaw them before baking. Simply stir the frozen berries into your cake batter. Whether you use fresh berries or frozen, I think you will agree that this really is the best blueberry buckle recipe. 

The crumb topping adds the perfect touch of sweetness to the juicy blueberries. In fact, I love the streusel topping so much that I actually doubled it from the original recipe. If you’re going to make a crumb topping, then I think you need to go all out and have a generous layer of crumbly streusel on top of your crumb cake!

This recipe makes one 8×8 pan. If you double it (and it does double well), bake it in a 9×13 pan.

If you are freezing this blueberry coffee cake, allow the buckle to cool before wrapping it tightly in foil. I promise it is just as good the next day (or whenever you serve it) as the first time you enjoy your blueberry buckle.

This is our family recipe for blueberry buckle.

Buckle Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups blueberries

Crunchy Streusel Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons cold butter

How to Make Blueberry Buckle Cake: 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Beat milk, shortening and egg in a bowl. You can use an electric mixer on low speed or stir by hand in a large bowl. I usually mix the cake batter by hand with a sturdy rubber spatula.

Stir in the dry ingredients for the buckle – flour, sugar and baking powder. Stir just until flour is moistened. This will be a thick batter that appears slightly lumpy. 

Gently fold in blueberries into your batter. Pour blueberry buckle batter into a greased 8×8 pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and butter with your hands to make your crumble topping. Sprinkle the buttery streusel on top of the batter.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until topping is golden brown. 

Allow cake to cool slightly and enjoy with your morning coffee. Or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream  to the top of the cake and serve if for dessert! You can enjoy this blueberry buckle at any time of day. 

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