Wild Huckleberry Buckle
A buckle is a simple single-layer cake with berries folded into the batter and a crumb topping baked right on top, and it's one of the most forgiving ways to use wild huckleberries. The batter itself is closer to a pound cake than a light sponge, so it holds up well to the weight of the fruit without turning soggy in the middle, which is the usual problem with berry cakes. Frozen berries work just as well as fresh here, so this is a good recipe to make in January with berries you picked and froze back in August, when the foothills above the valley are covered in them for about three short weeks. The streusel top adds a little crunch against the soft crumb underneath, and a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is about as close as this cake gets to being a dessert instead of a breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups huckleberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed, for the topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Whisk together 1 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, then the milk and vanilla, until just combined.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined — don't overmix.
- Toss the huckleberries with the remaining 1/4 cup flour, then fold them gently into the batter.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- For the topping, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, then cut in the cold butter with your fingers until it forms coarse crumbs. Scatter evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 32 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
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