Blueberry Buckle

I know this is The Armenian Kitchen website, however the following recipe, Blueberry Buckle, is not Armenian. It was, however, made by an Armenian (me) in my kitchen therefore I declare that it qualifies!

Blueberry Buckle

What's a 'buckle', you ask? In the culinary world, 'buckle' is an old American term for a simple, single-layer cake made with blueberries or other berries.

Doug and I have been relying on a grocery-delivery service lately, so we get-what-we-get from the store. This time around we scored fresh blueberries! Unfortunately, they were the tartest berries we’d ever tasted. Doug was ready to toss them; I had another idea.

The following recipe comes from Food Network’s Alton Brown with a few minor changes based on what I had on hand. His recipe calls for cake flour; mine is all-purpose. He uses freshly ground nutmeg and ground ginger. I have ginger and cinnamon, but no nutmeg - and so it goes.

Despite my ingredient substitutions, the buckle was a big hit! Doug particularly enjoyed the sweet-tart taste and moist texture.
I ended up wrapping some pieces and putting them in the freezer because we want to make this dessert last.
You never know what will be in our next grocery delivery.

Blueberry Buckle

Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake 

Ingredients for the cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk (I used fat-free)

3 cups fresh whole blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

Ingredients for the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar (Note: if you don’t have brown sugar, just use a total of ½ cup granulated sugar.)
1/3 cup flour, approximately
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

Cake Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Spray a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. 

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute. 

Add the egg and beat until well incorporated, approximately 30 seconds. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add 1/3 of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything has combined. 

Coat the blueberries in 2 Tbsp. flour, then gently fold-in them into the cake batter.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. 

Topping Directions:

In a small bowl combine the sugar(s), flour and ginger. 

Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients using a fork or pastry blender to combine. Continue until the mixture has a crumbly texture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.