Wild Blueberry Buckle

Growing up in New Brunswick we had wild blueberry pies, cakes, grunts, cobblers, crumble, and crisp. But one of my very favourite treats was this Wild Blueberry Buckle. A buckle is different than a cake.

A buckle is a cake that does not buckle under the weight of the fruit. It’s dense but at the same time light and airy between the berries. This recipe is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated – America’s Test Kitchen. I use more cinnamon, more lemon zest and organic cane sugar. And, of course, I’ll only use tiny wild low bush blueberries.

I’m not snobby about too many things but, for me, there’s no substitute. When I visit New Brunswick in the winter, my suitcase is always five to 10 pounds heavier returning to Calgary. That’s the frozen wild New Brunswick blueberries I bring back with me. Otherwise, I’ve had good luck finding real wild blueberries in the freezer section of SuperStore or Loblaws (not sponsored). Read on for the recipe.

Wild Blueberry Buckle

Time: 90 minutes including baking time

Yield: 10 – 12 servings

Equipment: 8-inch springform pan, stand mixer, bowls, spatula

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For the Streusel topping:

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cane sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut in 10 pieces, cool but not hard

For the cake:

• 1½ cups flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup cane sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups wild blueberries (accept no substitute)

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For the streusel:

1. Combine flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt on low speed of your stand mixer until no large lumps remain.
2. Add the butter and mix on low until it looks like wet sand.
3. Transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray an 8-inch spring form pan with non-stick spray or grease it with soft butter.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed till light and fluffy.
5. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the vanilla until combined – about 30 seconds.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until partially mixed and pausing to scrape down the sides.Continue until fully incorporated.
7. Add the flour mix – gradually –and beat until flour is almost fully incorporated.
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter without over beating it.
9. Fold in the berries and transfer the mixture to the spring form pan.
10. Sprinkle streusel topping over the batter.
11. Bake until golden – about 55 to 60 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
12. Enjoy with whipped cream or ice cream. Blueberry ripple would be nice.