Blueberry Buckle

Buckle, Betty, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump, and Sonker are all names for an old-fashioned treat more commonly known as Cobbler. Cobblers originated in the early British American colonies, when settlers were unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of ingredients and cooking equipment.  The method of covering a stewed fruit filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings was created. The name is thought to have been given to the dish because when cooked the surface had the appearance of a cobbled street, or perhaps from the fact that the ingredients were “cobbled” together.

A Buckle is typically made with a cake like yellow batter with the fruit filling mixed in to it, and then covered with a crumbled topping made of sugar, butter, and flour before baking. Buckles are usually made with blueberries. A Betty is made by layering a fruit filling, usually apples, with bread crumbs and resembles a bread pudding when baked. Crisps and Crumbles are a fruit filling covered with a crumbled topping made with oatmeal. Grunts and Slumps are a New England version made stove top, usually in a cast iron skillet, and believed to have been named for the sounds the cobbler creates as it is cooking. The Sonker is unique to North Carolina, and is simply a deep dish version of a cobbler.

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Blueberry Buckle

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

A moist yellow cake filled with fresh blueberries, topped with a crumble.

Course: Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Christoph

Ingredients

Cake

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk, minus 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Crumb Topping

• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces

Icing

• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• ½ teaspoon milk

Method

Cake

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8” x 8” square pan or a 9” springform pan.
2. Tip: Place a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of your springform pan before closing. Grease the pan and paper as you normally would. The paper makes it easy to separate the cake from the bottom.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg to creamed mixture and mix well to combine.
4. In another bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Add vanilla to milk to make ½ cup.
6. Add flour mixture alternating with milk to the creamed butter, mix until combined. Gently fold in blueberries.

Crumb Topping

1. In a small bowl mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or fork cut the butter into sugar mixture until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Icing (Make when cake is completely cooled)

1. Place powdered sugar in small mixing bowl. Add milk a little at a time until icing will drizzle off spoon.

Assemble

1. Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
2. Cover batter evenly with crumb topping. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is slightly browned.
3. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 - 20 minutes before removing the springform.
4. Allow to cool completely.
5. Drizzle top of cooled cake with icing.

Cooks Notes

If using frozen blueberries, be sure to thaw and drain the berries before adding to the batter.