Summer Fruit Dessert

It was time to clean out the refrigerator freezer last weekend. Along with the unidentified foil packets filled with mystery meats (all of which I tossed), I found two freezer bags filled with blueberries from our backyard bushes. I knew I must put them to good use pronto as these same bushes are currently full of flowers and soon will be bearing lots more berries. 

There are such wonderful fruit desserts that have the most quaint names such as cobblers, buckles, grunts, betty's, etc. and I opted for a buckle.  This website gives great definitions for the differences in all these types of desserts. It says the buckle is similar to a crisp in that it has a streusel-like topping and when baked, it comes out with a buckled appearance.  This is a delicious, moist cake thanks to the buttermilk with a slight lemon taste which really compliments the blueberries.  It made for a wonderful brunch contribution.

Blueberry Buckle

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash salt
1/4 cup room temp unsalted butter, cubed

In a small bowl, sift the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a fork or your fingers, mix in the butter until pea size crumbs form. Store crumb topping in freezer.

Cake

1 1/2 plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp room temp unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries (If still frozen, allow for extra cooking time)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, forming the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Add one egg at a time to the mixing bowl, mixing after each addition.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix.
Add another third of the dry ingredients and the final half of the butter milk. Mix.
Add the remaining third of the dry ingredients. Mix.
Fold in 1 cup of blueberries.

Spread cake batter evenly over a greased 9×9 baking container of your choice. Sprinkle the remaining cup of blueberries over top.

Remove crumb topping from freezer and spread over the berries. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until it starts to brown.