Blueberry Buckle
We’re all about family traditions, especially when they involve one of our favorite summer berries — blueberries. For instance, we know a family in New Jersey headed by a formidable grandmother. As the story goes, in her heyday, this matriarch could clear an entire bush of blueberries in under one minute. Her trick? She’d tie a coffee can around her waist (to keep both hands free) and strip the berries off the branches right into the can. She would bring home 20 pounds of berry bliss almost every time, and most of them would end up in her famous buckle. No matter where you get your berries, you’ll probably come home with less, but you’ll want to make the blueberry buckle anyway.
Directions
For the crumb topping
Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumb forms.
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream the sugar and shortening together until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in half of the flour on low speed. Mix in the milk, then the remaining flour until the batter is smooth and thick.
For assembly
Spread the cake batter evenly in the prepared pan and scatter the blueberries over. Using your fingers, sprinkle the crumb topping in small patches over the blueberries.
Bake until the top is golden brown and the berries are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
