What is a buckle?

perfect with a little ice cream

I was in the mood to do some baking, and wanted to make something with fresh berries while they are in season. So I came across this recipe for a mixed berry “buckle” and had never heard that word in relation to baking before. I thought maybe I was just missing something, but asked a few people and found out I was not alone! So of course I went to google…and this was one helpful description:

What’s a buckle, you might ask? It’s really a fancy word for a coffee cake, but if you look back in old cookbooks they’ll tell you the name is derived from how the dessert is baked: a rich cake with a single layer of berries, topped with a crumb mixture. The “buckle” is the uneven appearance of the top after it has baked in the oven.

I wanted to try it since I had most of the ingredients on hands other than some raspberries. I was definitely pleasantly surprised with the result! I had it first as dessert warm with vanilla ice cream (recommended!) and also took some to work for a morning coffee cake. It was great both ways! The original post referred to “stiff batter” and from their picture it did seem a little different than how mine turned out, but I used the exact ingredients and it was perfectly delicious either way! I didn’t get a picture of the finished product…I’m still not good at remembering to get plenty of photos, and I cut right into it before snapping one. I guess that just shows how excited I was to try it!

Mixed Berry Buckle

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, strawberries (halved or quartered) and raspberries
• vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine.  Add vanilla and beat to combine.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; with mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.

3. Spread batter in baking dish. Scatter raspberries on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. With a large spoon, scoop out onto serving plates; serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired

right before going in the oven...