Get the Recipe:
Blackberry Buckle
This blackberry buckle is an old-fashioned cake filled with juicy fresh blackberries and topped with a chunky brown sugar crumb topping. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, it's a simple, rustic recipe that lets summer berries shine.
Ingredients
For the topping:
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
For the cake:
- 1 ¾ cups (about 230 g) fresh blackberries
- 1 ⅓ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for tossing berries
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 g) sour cream, at room temperature
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Instructions
To make the topping:
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mix in the butter with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until large clumps form. Refrigerate while you make the cake batter.
Don't overwork the crumb topping — the larger clumps create the best texture.
To make the cake, assemble, and bake:
- Set aside 1/3 to 1/2 cup blackberries. Toss the remaining berries with a tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper if you like.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix well. Then mix in the vanilla and lemon zest.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with the buttermilk and the sour cream. Mix just until combined or a few small streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
- Gently fold in the blackberries tossed with flour.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter the reserved blackberries over the top. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over everything. No need to press in.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden, the crumb is set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Mix the batter just until combined to keep the cake tender.
A little blackberry juice on the toothpick is normal when checking for doneness.
Notes
- Refrigerating the crumb topping while you prepare the batter helps keep the butter cold, creating larger, crispier crumbles.
- Tossing the blackberries with a little flour helps distribute them more evenly throughout the cake.
- If using frozen blackberries, add them straight from the freezer and expect to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- A standard 9-inch round cake pan that's at least 2 inches deep can be used instead of a springform pan.
Show off your baking masterpiece!Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can't wait to see your creation!
