Blueberry buckle

'What are you baking today,' Peter asked as he walked into the kitchen, sniffing the air. I had risen with the birdies, allowing my man to sleep on so that I could bake a cake in the quiet of the morning. I think the aroma of the blueberry buckle woke him and I could tell by the smile on his face that he imagined he would be enjoying cake for breakfast.

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'Good morning Mr Buckley. It's a blueberry buckle cake,' I replied. 'We have visitors today'. 'Oh,' he said, shoulders slumped. 'Does that mean I have to wait until morning tea?' I smiled. He was such a boy. 'I guess I could break the rules for you,' I responded, kissing him on the nose.

This streusel-topped blueberry buckle has been a family favourite for many years. Apart from its texture and taste, the beauty of it is that you can keep a supply of blueberries in the freezer all year round. I buy punnets of them in the summer months, when prices come right down, freezing them for later use. Costco sells large bags of frozen blueberries, making it even more economical. 

If you love blueberries, you might enjoy my streusel-topped blueberry macadamia muffins too. I store large bags of macadamia nuts in the freezer, beside the blueberries. Blueberries are lovely in breakfast hotcakes too. With summer coming, these peach and blueberry hotcakes with macadamias, mascarpone and maple syrup will be back on the menu too.

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Recipe for Blueberry buckle...

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vanilla infused caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
2 cups plain (AP) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
3 cups blueberries 

For the streusel crumb topping:
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
6 tablespoons plain (AP) flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Grease a 20-cm (8-inch) square cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.

Make the streusel crumb topping first. Combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. You can use your fingers, a knife, or pastry blender for this. Set the mixture aside.

Combine the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Mix in the sifted flour and baking powder, together with the milk. Gently fold in half the blueberries. 

Using a spatula or serving spoon, transfer the batter to the prepared tin and smooth the top over, neatly. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on the top. Finally, sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the cake.

Bake the blueberry buckle for 50-55 minutes until a skewer tests clean and the crumble topping is golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin, then serve, sliced. Serves 8-10.

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Tell me dear readers, do you have stand-by recipes on your repertoire? What is your favourite go-to cake? Do you love blueberries as much as I do?