nonnie’s blueberry buckle

20160717-DSC_1609

This month’s Baked Occasionally is brought to you by the August chapter and was chosen by Mrs. Table. Just like this wonderful summer month this cake is sweet and fill to the top with fruit. Not to be confused with a blueberry coffee cake, the buckle is… well, to be honest I’m not quite sure why it’s not a coffee cake. But it’s not.

Cake batter? Check. Berries? Check. Stresuel? Check! Delicious in the morning and even more delicious alongside coffee? Double check. But no, definitely not a coffee cake.

She may not look like much but what she lacks in presentation she makes up for in flavor. Baked’s blueberry buckle is a sweet, tender cake bursting with blueberries and topped with a sweet, crunchy streusel topping. It’s perfect for breakfast or dessert, or an afternoon snack.

What I liked:

Everything – it was delicious!

What I didn’t:

As per usual, the Baked recipe called for a special tube pan (which my frugal self has yet to purchase). While not nearly as gorgeous as Shannon’s tube pan cake, I did learn that it would fit perfectly into a 10 inch round cake pan. Of course, it will affect your baking time. I ended up using a 10 inch spring form pan so that I could still have the removable bottom feature.

I also threw a little batter into some muffin tins because everything is better in mini form.

You can see Shannon’s post over at A Periodic Table, or pick up the Baked Occasions book and bake along with us next month!

20160717-DSC_1625

nonnie's blueberry buckle

Ingredients

    For the Blueberry Cake
  • 1½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups (170 g) cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) canola oil
  • 2 ounces (½ stick/55 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (115 g) sour cream
  • 4 cups (14 ounces/395 g) fresh blueberries
  • For the Streusel
  • ¾ cup (165 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1?3 cup (40 g) all purpose flour
  • 1?3 cup (40 g) cake flour
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 ounces (¾ stick/85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Instructions

    Make the cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a 10-cup tube pan or a 10 inch round springform cake pan by lining with parchment and spraying with nonstick cooking spray. (Or butter the pan and dust it with flour, knocking out the excess flour)).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking powder, salt, ginger, and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and sour cream and whisk until combined; set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl,
  6. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest, and beat for another 10 seconds
  7. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in the standing mixer in three parts, alternating with the cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (flour-cream-flour-cream-flour). Beat at medium speed after each addition until incorporated, about 10 to 15 seconds each.
  8. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the blueberries into the batter. The batter will be very thick.
  9. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  10. Make the Streusel
  11. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flours, and cinnamon until combined (lumps are okay).
  12. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and combine until the sugar mixture is thoroughly moistened. You can do this with your hands, a fork, or a spatula.
  13. Pinch off chunks of the topping and drop them over the top of the buckle batter. Use all of the topping and cover the batter completely.
  14. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50 to 60 minutes. (Note: Baking time for muffin size was between 15 to 20 minutes)
  15. Set the cake pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a paring knife, then push the bottom of the pan up (If using a removable bottom) to release the cake. Use the knife to loosen and remove the cake from the bottom of the pan, then cool completely, topping side up, on a cooling rack.

Notes

* If you don't have a tube pan, feel free to use a 10 inch round cake pan or spring form pan. Preferably something with a removable bottom.

* Portion into muffin tins and bake for 15 to 20 minutes for bite sized treats.

* If the streusel topping browns too much while cooking, just cover it with some foil while the cake continues to bake.

https://wee-eats.com/2016/08/02/nonnies-blueberry-buckle/

[ GET THE BOOK – BAKED OCCASIONS ]
[ CHECK OUT SHANNON’S POST ON A PERIODIC TABLE ]

Disclaimer: This post includes an Amazon Affiliate link. I may earn a small commission for my link to any products or services from this website. 

blueberry crumb cake

blueberry cake 0871

I would like to say that I knew July was Blueberry Month and that I made this recipe to be timely and trendy… I would like to say that I have my finger on the pulse of the food community and I was ready with blueberries for the month of July… but that would be a lie. I made this recipe because for some reason I thought that I needed the 5-pound clamshell of blueberries that I saw at Costco. I mean, it seemed like a good idea at the time.   Continue reading

blueberry-coconut coffee cake

blueberry buckle 1

I was recently burdened with an overabundance of blueberries. (What a hard life I have, I know)

As much as I love blueberries I was nearing the end of my week and still had more than I could eat sitting in the fridge taunting me, threatening me that they were going to turn at any minute. The worst thing about berries is that they turn from delicious to inedible in the blink of an eye.

What was I to do with these berries? How could I possibly relieve myself of this awful burden?

The same way I solve all of my other problems, apparently, with cake!

As though it was meant to be, I came across the Bon Appetit recipe for a blueberry buckle and the clouds parted and the angels sang and all was right in the world again….

blueberry buckle 2

And I thought I would kick up the summer appeal by adding a bit of tropical coconut… because coconut = summer, right? Something like that.

I’m not sure what exactly differentiates a buckle from a coffee cake or any other cake for that matter… then again, who does? According to this article, this thing isn’t even a buckle, anyway! I think this counts as “coffee cake” in my book, but if they want to call it a buckle, I’m down for that too.

“A cake by any other name still tastes as sweet…”

Right?

But this buckle/cake/coffee cake/sugar-flour-butter-baby was amazing.

This was one of the most tender cake/cake-like-items that I have ever put in my mouth. The fact that it was filled to the brim with tart-yet-sweet blueberries and topped with glorious cinnamony streusel just made it all that much better. This cake “buckle”  is just as suited to accompany your morning coffee as it is for you after-dinner scoop of ice cream.

blueberry coconut coffee cake

Prep Time: 14 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients

    For the streusel
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
  • For the buckle
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces blueberries

Instructions

    Prepare for baking
  1. Prepare a 9-inch round spring-form pan with flour and butter (or use baking spray) and line with parchment. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  2. Make the topping
  3. Whisk all streusel ingredients together except butter.
  4. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and cut into the streusel mixture until evenly distributed.
  5. Make the buckle
  6. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  7. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter with sugar on high until the butter is pale and fluffy, about five minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated.
  8. Turn speed to low and add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the coconut cream, just until incorporated.
  9. Gently fold in the blueberries into the batter and scrape the batter into the pan. The batter will be thick and chock-full of blueberries. Gently press the batter into the pan with your hands or a spatula until it covers the bottom of the pan.
  10. Top batter with streusel and bake 80 to 90 minutes until baked through. Cool at least 30 minutes on a wire rack still in the pan.

Notes

* You will want to use a spring-form pan here since you cannot turn out the cake (or you will lose all of the delicious streusel)

* Though blueberries are used here, feel free to use any fruit you like or no fruit at all. This cake is AMAZING.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Apetit, July 2014

https://wee-eats.com/2014/07/28/blueberry-coconut-coffee-cake/