Improving Blueberry Buckle - Cooks Illustrated

Published July 1, 2005.

How can a simple yellow cake batter support an entire quart of blueberries without turning heavy and soggy? Think cookie dough.

The Problem

The classic blueberry buckle can be regarded as a streusel-topped blueberry coffee cake, but that sells it short. The substance of blueberry buckle should be the blueberries, not the cake--but too much fruit makes for a heavy, gummy dessert.

The Goal

We wanted to keep the emphasis on the berries yet also keep the berry-to-cake ratio in balance so the moisture released from the berries during baking wouldn't create a disagreeably soggy cake.

The Solution

We used an ample amount of blueberries--4 cups--to keep the blueberries as the headliner, then built more structure into the batter to support them. We transformed the batter significantly. In the end, it resembled a cookie dough more than a cake dough. We used all-purpose flour, eliminated dairy products, and added baking powder to supplement the natural leavening provided by creamed butter and sugar. For a crisp and crumbly (not hard and pebbly) streusel, we used a combination of light brown and granulated sugars and softened, rather than melted, butter.

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