Inspired by Alton Brown’s Blueberry Buckle, this recipe takes the dessert to a whole another level as they are sweetened with maple sugar and maple syrup. I’m calling this the Best Blueberry Buckle ever.
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There is no doubt about. Blueberry Buckle is one of the greatest things ever invented.
No other dessert has the same name as a structural failure as well as something that attaches to my belt.
What is great about a buckle is that its the perfect marriage of cake, pie, and cobbler. You got the fruit you associate with pies, you got a crumble topping that you associated with cobbler, and it is all in the package of a cake – the kind you would want to eat with your coffee.
Yeah buckle is pretty perfect. I have been making Alton Brown’s Blueberry Buckle every blueberry season for several years now. It has become a tradition.
So I am here today to say that I am screwing with tradition. And at the same time trying to top Alton Brown’s recipe. Sacrilegious you say. I would say I am simply trying to make good eats (notice the lowercase letters to apply I am not referring specifically to the Food Network show with the same name 🙂 )
🤏 U-Pick Blueberries
I am very fortunate to live in a great fruit state. Here in Michigan we have the opportunity to pick our own fruit throughout the late spring and summer. So far this year I have already picked strawberries, Saskatoon berries, mulberries, tart cherries, apricots, and blueberries.
Michigan is one of the top blueberry producing states in the nation. I have plenty of options to go to pick my own. We love to take the kids picking as it is some of the most kid friendly u-picking your going to do. The kids can reach the fruit standing up without the need for a ladder. There are also no thorns to worry about.
RELATED – When are Blueberries in Season?
🍁 Adding Maple
So you may be wondering how I improved on a great blueberry buckle recipe. Maple is the answer. My good friends at Mohawk Valley Trading Company sent me some of their maple syrup as well as their maple sugar. I decided to use the maple syrup in the streusel topping for the blueberry buckle. The maple sugar i used in the batter.
♻️ Replacing White Sugar with Maple Sugar
The advantage of maple sugar as opposed to syrup is that you can add it to baked goods without it messing with the amount of liquid. If you use syrup you have to adjust the amount of liquid you use.
Most people online suggest using less maple sugar than you would white sugar. I wanted my buckle to have a strong maple flavor, so ignored all that advice and used it 1:1. If you want you could easily do 1/2 maple sugar and 1/2 white sugar.
🔵 A Better Buckle
Alton Brown’s recipe is good, not doubt about it. But sorry Alton, I like mine even better. The maple sugar gives more depth to the cake.
The topping I made with the maple syrup was more flavorful by far and it browned better in the oven. Alton’s topping is rather light in color. The cake is done before it get really than brown. Who would have thought I could make a browner cake than the man who has brown in his name!
Maple Blueberry Buckle
Ingredients
- 9 ounces cake flour don’t substitute AP flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 5 1/4 ounces maple sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 15 ounces blueberries
For the topping
- 4 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated please
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup darker, the better
- 3 tablespoons cold butter cubed
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Liberally spray a 9-inch square glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
To make the batter
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the room temperature butter and the maple sugar. Use your paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugar on medium speed til light and fluffy, should take about 60 seconds.
- Reduce the speed and add your egg, mix to just combine.
- With the mixing running on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk until everything is added and the batter just comes together. Don’t overmix.
- Turn the mixer off, and gently stir in the blueberries. Pour the mixture in into your glass baking dish.
To make the topping
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add the cubed butter into the bowl. With your hand work in the butter until it resembles a coarse cornmeal.
To bake the buckle
- Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake in the center of your oven for 40-45 mintues or until browned and a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for a half hour before consuming.
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