• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sturbridge Bakery
  • recipe index
  • work with me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipe index
  • work with me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • recipe index
    • work with me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Lemon Blueberry Buckle

    July 25, 2022 by Jess Italiano 61 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    If I was faced with only one thing to eat for the rest of time, it would be this lemon blueberry buckle. It is BURSTING with fresh blueberries, has a buttery streusel topping, and a fluffy, light and tender lemon cake. It is the PERFECT summer treat, and with only minimal ingredients, you can be digging into this buckle in no time.

    Why you will love this lemon blueberry buckle

    1. The cake. The cake texture is super light, moist and fluffy. It is made with cake flour, which leads to a very tender and moist crumb. It is an oil and butter based cake, so it has a significant amount of moisture that basically makes every bite of cake melt in your mouth.
    2. The streusel. This cake is topped with a streusel crust - it has a sweet buttery flavor and adds a great contrast in texture.
    3. The blueberries. The blueberries are the star ingredient! This buckle is bursting with fresh blueberries. And since summer is the season for berries, make sure you are using fresh berries, not frozen.

    Key ingredients

    • Blueberries: make sure to use fresh berries - rather than frozen. Frozen berries will thaw and become mushy and liquidy. We don't want that.
    • Lemon: since this is a lemon blueberry buckle, we obviously need lemons! We toss the blueberries with lemon zest to achieve that lemony flavor. We also use lemon extract in the cake batter. It's not necessary, but it adds a spectacular lemon flavor.
    • Cake flour: please, please, please do not sub out the cake flour with all purpose flour! First of all, they are not a one to one swap. Second of all, the cake flour adds such a moist and tender crumb. Cake flour is a lower protein flour which is milled to a finer consistency, so a cake made with cake flour will have a tighter crumb.
    • Granulated sugar: granulated sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the cake. We also use granulated sugar in the streusel topping.
    • Fats: we use a combination of unsalted butter and vegetable oil in this cake. Both of these add to the moistness of the cake. We also add whole milk for extra moisture and to thin out the batter a bit.

    Steps

    1. Toss the blueberries with the lemon zest.
    2. Make the streusel by combining the granulated sugar, all purpose flour and melted butter.
    3. Make the cake batter. Pour the batter into an 8 inch springform pan. Layer with the blueberries, followed by the streusel.
    4. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    5. Let cool, top with ice cream/powdered sugar/whipped cream and enjoy!

    Other recipes you may like

    • Vanilla Cake With Strawberries and Cream
    • No Bake Brownie Cheesecake
    • Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

    Lemon Blueberry Buckle

    If I was faced with only one thing to eat for the rest of time, it would be this lemon blueberry buckle. It is BURSTING with fresh blueberries, has a buttery streusel topping, and a fluffy, light and tender lemon cake. It is the PERFECT summer treat, and with only minimal ingredients, you can be digging into this buckle in no time.
    5 from 20 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Dessert
    Servings 12 slices

    Ingredients
     

    Blueberries

    • 2 cups (305 grams) fresh blueberries
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest about one large lemon

    Streusel

    • ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
    • ⅔ cup (84 grams) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
    • ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter melted

    Cake

    • 1 ½ cups (180 grams) cake flour spooned and leveled
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
    • ¼ cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
    • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon lemon extract optional
    • ½ cup (120 mL) whole milk room temperature

    Instructions
     

    Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan with parchment paper. If you are greasing the pans with spray, make sure to NOT overspray otherwise the sides/edges of the cake will brown/crisp up because of the excess fat from the spray. Set pan aside.
    • For the blueberries: In a small bowl, toss together the blueberries and lemon zest. Set aside.
    • For the streusel: In another small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and all purpose flour. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand. Set aside.
    • For the cake: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
    • In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on medium-high speed until completely combined. This will only happen if the butter is fully at room temperature. About 2-3 minutes.
    • With the mixer on low speed, stream in the granulated sugar then beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
    • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low speed in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. I normally scrape the sides and bottom after every egg addition. Add the vanilla extract and lemon extract (if using) and mix on low-medium speed until combined.
    • With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Do not over mix.
    • Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle the blueberries on the cake batter in an even layer, gently patting them into the cake batter with your hand. Sprinkle the streusel on top of the blueberries and lightly pat it into the cake batter as well. Bake for 40-45 minutes - the streusel will be golden and the blueberries will be bubbling. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    1. I like to scrape down the bottoms and sides of the bowl every time after I add a new ingredient, this will ensure the cake is properly mixed.
    2. This cake can be baked in a 9 inch springform pan as well. The bake time will vary.
    Keyword Cakes and Cupcakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!

    « Chocolate Layer Cake
    Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Carmela

      August 02, 2022 at 9:16 pm

      Do you have to make this in a springform pan?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 03, 2022 at 9:26 pm

        It doesn't have to be baked in a springform pan! It's just easier to remove the cake from the pan after it bakes.

        Reply
      • Tjg

        August 17, 2022 at 4:29 pm

        If you don't have a springform, cut strips of parchment paper that hang outside the pan. Use them as handles to lift out your cake

        Reply
    2. Livia

      August 04, 2022 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      I picked some fresh blackberries yesterday, and wow! This cake is delicious, moist and my family loves it. I made one yesterday and making another today to send to my husband's office. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 04, 2022 at 3:38 pm

        I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much 🙂

        Reply
    3. Katherine

      August 04, 2022 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      My blueberries were a little tart, but this still came out incredible! I didn’t have a springform pan so I did struggle a little to get it out so I would use one if you have one.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 05, 2022 at 12:00 am

        Awe I'm sorry about your blueberries!! But I am so glad you enjoyed 🙂

        Reply
    4. Nicola

      August 05, 2022 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      Made this beautiful cake this morning. I used fresh lemon juice in the cake. Very light and perfect lemon flavour. Family loved it. Only small thing was that my blueberries all sunk to the bottom. I think I pressed them in to the cake too much. Oops.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 05, 2022 at 1:55 pm

        Hi Nicola! Yay!! I am so happy you liked it! I am sorry to hear about your blueberries sinking, but I am sure it was still delicious 🙂

        Reply
    5. Patrick

      August 05, 2022 at 1:08 pm

      Can I make this 1-2 days ahead? Do I just store in fridge or do I wrap it with cling wrap to avoid drying the cake?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 05, 2022 at 1:55 pm

        I would wrap it in cling wrap and store in the fridge. Just make sure it is COMPLETELY air tight otherwise it'll dry out.

        Reply
    6. Judy

      August 05, 2022 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      I substituted 1-1 gluten free flour so my husband could indulge with me. Delicious!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 05, 2022 at 11:56 pm

        I'm glad the gluten free flour worked!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try 🙂

        Reply
    7. Su

      August 06, 2022 at 8:54 am

      Hi, this recipe sounds too delicious not to make so can you tell me the difference between cake flour and all purpose flour please. Is it that one is self-raising and one plain flour?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 06, 2022 at 11:03 am

        Hi! Cake flour is a lower protein flour which is milled to a finer consistency, so a cake made with cake flour will have a tighter and softer crumb. They are not a 1-1 swap, so I highly suggest sticking with cake flour if you can!

        Reply
        • Calin

          August 19, 2022 at 12:01 pm

          Cake flour ( bleached flower ) is banned in Europe for health reasons, so you won’t find it here , use all purpose flour , mine turned up really well

    8. Siobhan

      August 06, 2022 at 11:45 am

      How long will this cake keep? And how do you store it? Thank x

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 07, 2022 at 8:35 am

        If you put it in a completely airtight container, it should last for 4-5 days. I like to cut it into slices, put it in a tupperware and leave it at room temperature.

        Reply
    9. Julia

      August 06, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      Looks amazing!! How much longer/shorter should I bake it if I only have a 9-inch spring form pan?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 07, 2022 at 8:37 am

        Since a 9-inch springform pan is bigger, the cake will be shorter and therefore will require less bake time. I would start checking it at around 35 minutes 🙂

        Reply
    10. Carin

      August 07, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      Made this recipe for my family as a special summer treat while the fresh blueberries are plentiful here in the Northeast U.S. Delicious! My family loved it .I mixed in a teaspoon of lemon flavoring to the wet ingredients because I didn't have a lemon on hand for the lemon zest. I pretended I was a pioneer woman and persevered . Looking forward making this with the lemon zest next time. Warm regards, Carin.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 08, 2022 at 1:37 pm

        Hi Carin! Thank you so much for trying! So glad you and your family enjoyed!

        Reply
      • Davis

        August 15, 2022 at 3:57 pm

        Could I use fresh cherries instead of blueberries?

        Reply
        • Jess Italiano

          August 15, 2022 at 4:24 pm

          I'm not sure how that will turn out, I have never tried it. Please let me know how it goes if you give it a try!

    11. Crystal

      August 07, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      Do you think this would work using a cupcake tin and make them almost like muffins?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 08, 2022 at 1:38 pm

        I've never tried it so I cannot guarantee it, but I imagine it could work. If you give it a try, please let me know how it turned out 🙂

        Reply
    12. Leigh

      August 10, 2022 at 5:09 am

      Can I make with frozen blueberries?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 10, 2022 at 3:20 pm

        Hi there! I suggest making them with fresh blueberries. Frozen blueberries will thaw and there will be too much moisture which will affect the bake time/texture/consistency, etc.

        Reply
      • Gada

        September 02, 2022 at 5:49 am

        5 stars
        I made them with frozen blueberries since I didn’t have fresh blueberries at hand and it turned out perfect. What I did is I waited for the blueberries to partly thaw, drained out the excess liquid, and then tossed them in a bit of flour. The cake turned out really well and I haven’t found that they impacted the colour nor the moistness of the cake.

        Reply
    13. Kay

      August 10, 2022 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      I made this cake with a few changes and it was lovely! Cake: all butter, coconut sugar, spelt flour + cornstarch for a tender crumb, with blueberries and plums. Streusel: mix of spelt and oat flour with oats. I’m looking forward to making it again, it’s just delicious.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 10, 2022 at 3:20 pm

        Hi Kay! I am so glad it worked with all the substitutions!! Thanks for giving it a try 🙂

        Reply
    14. Sabrina

      August 12, 2022 at 6:55 pm

      Hi! I just tried this out for the first time and my streusel completely absorbed into the cake, so you know why that might be? I’ve never had that happen before and followed the recipe to a T. Smells amazing though!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 15, 2022 at 4:26 pm

        Hi Sabrina! I am so sorry that happened to you, I have never heard of that happening before. Did you press it into the batter a little too much?

        Reply
      • Brittany

        August 21, 2022 at 3:55 pm

        This happened to me at the edges, I think my streusel crumbles were too small. Only the larger ones remained.

        Reply
    15. Rachel

      August 15, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      I did used this recipe a week ago or so and my family loved it especially because it wasn’t to sweet so my dad (who’s diabetic) could have it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 16, 2022 at 9:06 am

        Thanks so much, Rachel!

        Reply
    16. Miquel

      August 21, 2022 at 5:29 am

      5 stars
      First time with this recipe and everything went just perfect. Looked great and tasted awesome; all family joined for tea and surprised them with this! Most loved element, of course: the streusel!
      Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 21, 2022 at 11:12 am

        I'm so glad! Thanks for trying it!

        Reply
    17. Cass

      August 22, 2022 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! If I make it again, I would add extra lemon flavour (maybe even double it), since the lemon is very subtle. I also didn’t have cake flour so I used AP flour and took 3tbs out of the 1 1/2 stated cups. I also added a sprinkle of crunchy sugar rocks on top. Really great!!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 22, 2022 at 10:54 am

        I am glad to hear you enjoyed!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try 🙂

        Reply
    18. Victoria

      August 22, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this tonight and OMG it was *chefs kiss*
      I didn’t have the lemon extract which I can definitely see it making it even better. My whole family loved it!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 22, 2022 at 9:42 pm

        Awe thank you so much!!

        Reply
    19. Sophie

      August 27, 2022 at 2:33 am

      Can I substitute almond milk for the regular milk?

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 28, 2022 at 11:00 am

        I have never tried it, but yes I believe you can.

        Reply
        • Freya

          October 25, 2022 at 12:25 pm

          5 stars
          Amazing !! Always turns out so well. Thank you for the recipe :))

        • Jess Italiano

          October 25, 2022 at 2:43 pm

          I'm so glad! Thanks, Freya!

    20. Sue

      August 29, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      5 stars
      I made the recipe today using unsweetened almond milk and it turned out great!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        August 29, 2022 at 7:59 pm

        Amazing! Thanks for trying it and leaving a review, Sue!

        Reply
    21. Hana

      October 22, 2022 at 3:37 am

      5 stars
      I made this so many times over the summer at request from my husbands and daughter. I didn’t need convincing! I new firm favourite for sure. Amazing fresh from the oven but it just gets better every day!

      Only thing I would say is we can’t taste the lemon. And I’ve added more every time and still can’t. It certainly is amazing as it is but I’d love to have it with a proper lemon zing too.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        October 23, 2022 at 12:28 pm

        Hi Hana! Thanks so much for trying it and I am so glad you enjoyed.

        Reply
    22. Isabelle

      November 09, 2022 at 11:05 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe for the first time on Sunday and even though it looked beautiful and tasted really nice, I felt something was missing. It was very moist and people loved it. However I felt I could have done better.

      So I tried a second time and it was day & night!! This cake is a crowd pleaser, it is not too sweet, not too dense and not too fruity. The texture is divine and it is soo hard to stop eating it! Absolutely addictive.
      I did not use cake flour as it does not exist in Australia but it turned out perfectly fine. I used a substitute but you can make cake flour yourself which seems fairly easy to do.

      First time I believe where I went wrong is while doing the cake batter, being unorganised I was taking breaks in between adding/mixing ingredients as I was using a hand mixer whereas the second time, I kept the hand mixer constantly on while adding ingredients.

      Absolutely recommend this recipe, it’s absolutely wonderful and I love how clear and details the instruction are!
      Thank you for this recipe !

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        November 11, 2022 at 12:42 pm

        Wow, thank you so much Isabelle! I am so happy you gave it another shot and that you loved it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.

        Reply
    23. Alice

      November 20, 2022 at 9:34 pm

      5 stars
      I found this recipe online and am very glad I tried it. It was beautiful-wish I could send a pic. I decided to dust it with confectioners sugar, which made it more festive. I also didn’t taste the lemon zest as much as I would have liked. Next time I’ll try extract since I know lemon with vanilla are such complimentary flavors. I will also put fewer blueberries near the center of the cake before baking. Even though it was thoroughly cooked, I think the water from the fruit added to my baking time. It’s a lovely recipe, and yes, not too sweet, which is important to so many of us. Can’t wait to make this for my next family party!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        November 21, 2022 at 11:08 pm

        Thank you so much Alice! I am glad you enjoyed!!

        Reply
    24. Sally Olson

      January 15, 2023 at 11:59 pm

      5 stars
      Made this Lemon Blueberry Buckle last week, my husband couldn’t get enough of it and bought more blueberries to make it again. Waiting for it to cool and enjoy. Delicious.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        January 16, 2023 at 2:54 pm

        Thank you so much Sally!!

        Reply
    25. Olivia

      January 22, 2023 at 9:14 pm

      5 stars
      This buckle is delicious! I love the fresh lemon flavor, and appreciate that it’s not too sweet. I added a simple lemon glaze to mine, and it was perfect!

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        January 23, 2023 at 7:18 pm

        I am glad you liked it!! And the lemon glaze sounds delicious!

        Reply
    26. SusanY

      January 29, 2023 at 11:57 am

      5 stars
      I saw this photo months ago on Instagram. I finally made it last week and tastes as good as visually advertised, delicious! I’ll be baking more and thank you.

      Reply
      • Jess Italiano

        January 30, 2023 at 7:40 pm

        Thanks Susan! So glad you enjoyed.

        Reply
    27. Isis

      January 31, 2023 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this recently, it was so good. I loved the crumble especially and the flavors had a perfect balance. ?

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    hi there!

    Thank you so much for visiting my dessert blog. I'm Jess, and as you can probably tell from the name, I LOVE to bake. I grew up on a perfect little street, Sturbridge Circle, which is where my love for baking truly began. So it seemed only fitting that my blog should be named after the place where it all started. Come bake with me!

    connect with me!

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • TikTok

    Latest Recipes

    • Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
    • Coffee Layer Cake
    • Dark Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
    • Oreo Cinnamon Rolls
    • Cannoli Cream Cake
    • Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Footer

    back to top

    more

    subscribe

    privacy

    recipe index

    breads

    breakfast

    dessert

    Contact

    please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

    contact

    Copyright © 2023 sturbridge bakery llc. all rights reserved.