berry buckle coffee cake

it’s the berry season! yesterday i went to a dog park with a very dear friend (three forks dog park, the most amazing dog park i have ever seen) and all around this outstanding field were gigantic blackberry bushes. so as we walked around the park with our tupperware in hand, we collected a heap of ripe juicy blackberries.

when we got home we contemplated on what kind of dessert we should make with them, then my friend carol gave us her favourite buckle cake recipe. for one, i had never heard of a buckle cake — but then again i’m french (wink). so if you are also wondering, it is a cross between a coffee cafe and a crumble. not a bad combination if you ask me!

ingredients
2 cups ~ 500ml ~flour ~you can use a gluten-free flour if you wish
3/4 cup ~ 187.5ml ~sugar
2.5 tsp ~ 12ml ~baking powder
3/4 tsp ~ 4ml ~salt
1/4 cup ~ 62.5ml ~butter ~softened (1/2 stick)
1 cup ~ 250ml ~milk ~you can use a dairy-free alternative
1 ~large egg
2+ cups ~ 500ml ~blackberries ~or any type of berries ~ add more if you have more!

crumb topping
1/2 cup ~ 125ml ~sugar
1/3 cup ~ 83ml ~flour
1/2 tsp ~ 2.5ml ~ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ~ 62.5ml ~butter ~softened (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup ~ 125ml ~oats

glaze optional + decorative
1/2 cup ~ 125ml ~powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ~ 1ml ~vanilla
1-2 tsp ~ 5-10ml ~hot water

• preheat oven to 375º
• blend all the ingredient together: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk and egg.
• mix well until the batter is perfectly smooth.
• spread half the batter in a 9 x 9 inches buttered pan.
• add the fruits evenly on top, then cover with the rest of the batter.
• sprinkle the crumb topping over top.
• bake for 45-50 minutes (until inserted toothpick comes out clean).
• optional: drizzle with glaze if you wish.

lastly, serve warm if you can as it is even more delicious! the glaze is completely optional and i omitted it because i think it is sweet enough and mostly a decorative element for presentation. this little sweetness is great for tea time and brunch. if you add a lot more berries (i used about 3 cups) then you won’t feel so guilty having it for breakfast! (wink)

please let me know what you think ~ thanks!