Blueberry buckle is a golden coffee cake loaded with fresh blueberries and crowned with a buttery cinnamon streusel. The batter is thick and heavy before baking, rising around the berries into a deep golden slab that settles as it cools. Eight to ten slices of the classic American snacking cake.
SERVES 8 TO 10
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
½ cup almond flour
⅔ cup palm sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons (60 ml) coconut oil, softened
Cake
1½ cups almond flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons (150 ml) coconut oil, softened
⅔ cup palm sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
2 large eggs, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups (960 ml) fresh blueberries
Coconut oil for greasing cake pan
Preparation
1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a nine-inch round cake pan, then line bottom with parchment paper.
2.В В Whisk the flour, palm sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat in the coconut oil with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles moist crumbs.
3.В В In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together. In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil, palm sugar, salt, and lemon zest together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined (about 30 seconds), followed by the vanilla.
4.В В Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture until just incorporated (the batter will be extremely thick and heavy). Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.
5.В В Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top. Bake the buckle until it is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached (about 55 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking.
6.В В Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes (the cake will fall slightly as it cools). Run a small knife around the edge of the cake and flip it out onto a large plate (not the serving platter). Peel off the parchment paper, flip the cake right-side up onto a serving platter, and let cool until just warm or to room temperature (at least one hour) before serving.
Pro Tips
- Fold the blueberries into that famously thick batter gently with a spatula. The batter is heavy on purpose — it suspends the berries instead of letting them sink.
- Make the streusel first and keep it crumbly; pinching it into moist clumps gives the buckle its signature crunchy, uneven top.
- Bake until deep golden brown — pale buckle lacks the caramelised crust that makes this cake special. A toothpick should show just a few crumbs.
- Cool in the pan ten minutes before flipping. The buckle settles slightly as it cools and that gentle sink is exactly what it should do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes — fold them in frozen to prevent bleeding. Add a few minutes to the bake and expect a slightly longer cool time.
Why is my batter so thick?
That's correct for a buckle. The dense batter is what holds the fruit in suspension and gives the cake its classic, jammy pockets.
How do I store blueberry buckle?
Airtight at room temperature for two days or refrigerated for four. It's lovely slightly warm with coffee the next morning.
What's the difference between a buckle and a cobbler?
A buckle is a cake with fruit baked into the batter and a streusel top; a cobbler has fruit underneath a biscuit or cookie topping.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour a nine-inch round cake pan, then line bottom with parchment paper. 2. В В Whisk the flour, palm sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Beat in the coconut oil with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. 3. В В In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil, palm sugar, salt, and lemon zest together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined (about 30 seconds), followed by the vanilla. 4. В В Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture until just incorporated (the batter will be extremely thick and heavy). Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula. 5. В В Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top.
- Bake the buckle until it is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached (about 55 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking. 6. В В Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes (the cake will fall slightly as it cools). Run a small knife around the edge of the cake and flip it out onto a large plate (not the serving platter).
- Peel off the parchment paper, flip the cake right-side up onto a serving platter, and let cool until just warm or to room temperature (at least one hour) before serving.
