What is a buckle cake anyway? 

Allegedly it’s called a buckle because while it bakes the batter rises, but the berries and crumb topping weigh it down. This causes the surface of the cake to buckle… hence the name. Think of it as a blueberry muffin meets a coffee cake and the buckle is somewhere in between. 

All I know is that this berry cherry buckle is a deliciously tender lemon scented cake, studded with fresh berries and cherries and topped with a sweet buttery streusel topping. Enjoy a slice for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. 

It has a similar texture to a coffee cake that my grandmother used to make – moist, sweet and delicious with a crumbly streusel topping. It’s a really easy cake to put together and the end result is very satisfying. The simple batter is made like most cake recipes, where the sugar, butter and egg are creamed together, then the remaining dry ingredients are added, alternating with the milk.

I used mixed berries instead of just blueberries because it’s that time of the season when the local fresh berries are at their best. 

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Berry Cherry Buckle

Course Dessert

Ingredients

• ¾ cup organic cane sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 cups blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries

For the Crumb Topping

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup organic cane sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line a 9” round pan or skillet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the sugar and butter.
• Add egg and lemon zest and beat until fluffy.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with the buttermilk. Don’t over-mix.
• Gently fold in the berries, reserving some for the top.
• Spread the mixture in the pan and sprinkle the remaining berries over the top.

For the Topping

• Combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter and bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Recipe inspired by Diane Morrisey