Summer Berry Buckle Cake
Blueberries and raspberries are at their freshest right now, so why not use them to make a summertime treat! This Summer Berry Buckle Cake incorporates summer’s freshest fruits into a moist, tender cake. Member’s Mark™ Organic Cinnamon is the perfect complement to the tartness of the fruit.
What is a Buckle?
It’s not what it sounds like! A buckle is a rustic fruit dessert—basically a moist, tender cake baked with lots of fresh berries, usually topped with a crumbly streusel. Typically, it’s a one layer cake that has berries or cut-up fruit stirred in to the batter.
The name “buckle” comes from the way the cake batter rises around the fruit while baking, causing the surface to buckle or wrinkle as the berries sink into it.
Typical ingredients:
- Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or a mix
- A simple buttery vanilla cake batter
- Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour
- Often a cinnamon-sugar or streusel topping
It’s somewhere between a coffee cake and a fruit cobbler, but with a cake-like base rather than a biscuit or crumble topping.
Other Fruits to Try in a Buckle
While blueberries and raspberries are at the top of our list, you can use whatever fresh fruit you have on hand! Here are some options to try:
Great choices
- Blueberries — classic; sweet and juicy
- Blackberries — more tart and robust
- Raspberries — bright, tangy, and delicate
- Strawberries — especially good chopped into small pieces
- Peaches — wonderful with cinnamon or ginger
- Plums — tart, juicy, and excellent with a buttery cake
- Cherries — especially good with almond or vanilla
- Apricots — slightly tart and fragrant
- Pears — softer, subtler flavor; great with cinnamon
- Apples — firmer and less juicy; excellent with cinnamon and nutmeg
Especially good combinations
- Blueberry + lemon
- Peach + blackberry
- Raspberry + peach
- Cherry + almond
- Plum + blueberry
- Apple + blackberry
- Pear + raspberry
For a classic summer buckle, try a blueberry, peach, or a blueberry-peach combination. If you’re using cinnamon, peach, blueberry, apple, or plum are particularly good matches.
What to Serve with a Buckle
A buckle cake is great on its own, but a creamy or cool accompaniment makes the fruit and buttery cake really shine.
Best pairings
- Vanilla ice cream — probably the best choice, especially with a warm buckle.
- Whipped cream — light and simple; great with berry buckles.
- Sweetened crème fraîche — slightly tangy, which balances sweet fruit.
- Greek yogurt — especially good for breakfast or brunch.
- Lemon whipped cream — excellent with blueberry or raspberry.
- Vanilla custard or crème anglaise — makes it feel more like a plated dessert.
- Mascarpone cream — rich and elegant with berries.
- Powdered sugar — if you want something very simple.
For different fruits
Blueberry: vanilla ice cream, lemon whipped cream, or crème fraîche
Peach: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or mascarpone
Blackberry: sweetened crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream
Apple: vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream
Cherry: vanilla ice cream or almond-flavored whipped cream
Plum: crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream
Summer Berry Buckle Cake
Ingredients
For the Crumb Mixture
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp Member's Mark™ Organic Cinnamon
- Member's Mark™ Himalayan Pink Salt a pinch
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter cold
For the Cake
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp Unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Clabber Girl® Baking Powder
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 3 cups Blueberries
- 1 cup Raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously spray a 9 to 10-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray and place on baking sheet.
For the Crumble Mixture
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugars, Member's Mark™ Organic Cinnamon, and Member's Mark™ Himalayan Pink Salt. Pulse until ingredients form a coarse crumb mixture. Chill coarse crumb mixture in refrigerator while preparing the cake.
For the Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with sugar until smooth and slightly fluffy. Blend in the eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and then blend well to make a smooth batter. Fold in the fruit. Remove crumble from the refrigerator and sprinkle on top of cake. Bake for 55 minutes or until cake seems firm to the touch. Cool cake for 15 minutes in pan before removing.
