What is the difference between a coffee cake and a buckle?

The basic definition of a buckle is a cake that has fruit in the batter and a streusel topping. A coffee cake refers to any cake (with or without fruit) that is intended to be eaten while enjoying a hot beverage, like coffee or tea! A coffee cake does not refer to a cake with coffee IN the recipe.

Why are my blueberries sinking to the bottom?

Berries, in general, are heavier than batter. The lighter and thinner your batter, the more they will sink, so make sure your batter is a 'rough batter' and not smooth like cake (see notes in post for more on this) . Some other theories that can help keep them from sinking are: 1) coat the berries in a little flour before adding to the batter. 2) spread 1/3 to 1/2 of the batter (without any berries mixed in) on the bottom of the baking pan. Mix the berries into the remainder of the batter and spread it gently over the top of the batter in the pan being careful not to mix the two layers. Do these work? We've tested both of them and while they may help a little, we still had some berries sink to the bottom in all of our tests.

Can I freeze the streusel topping?

Absolutely. Make a big batch, spread on a sheet pan and break up any large clumps into small pieces. Freeze for until firm (about an hour), transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Use as needed straight from the freezer!

Can I mix this the night before and bake in the morning?

We don't recommend this since the batter has leavening agents that will become active once the liquid is added. Bake the day before and reheat in a low oven until warmed through OR prepare everything the night before baking; mix the topping and set aside, combine the dry ingredients and measure out the liquids and berries. In the morning just mix the dry and wet ingredients together, add the berries, top with the streusel, and then bake.

Blueberry Coffee Cake For a Crowd

Description

This buttery and soft blueberry coffee cake is loaded with juicy blueberries and topped with a sweet streusel topping. Perfect for lazy mornings or special occasions like Christmas, Mother's Day, or Easter. This recipe is sized for a large group so everyone can enjoy a slice! Vegetarian.

Ingredients

Scale

Streusel Topping

6 Tablespoons butter, softened
90 grams (3/4 cup) flour
160 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coffee Cake

201 grams sugar (1 cup)
360 grams all purpose flour (about 3 cups when measured correctly by scooping and leveling)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 grams baking soda (3/4 teaspoon)
4 grams baking powder (3/4 teaspoon)
1 cup butter, cold, diced small
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups milk (10 ounces)
2 eggs
8 ounces fresh blueberries
1 Tablespoon flour

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Instructions

Heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Grease and flour a 13 x 9 inch casserole pan. We prefer glass, but metal will also work.

Prepare streusel topping

Add softened butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Since the butter is soft, a hand mixer can save some time here, otherwise, just mix with your hands, but make sure the butter doesn't melt from the heat in your hands - if it gets too soft, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
Set aside.

Prepare coffee cake

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Cut butter into small pieces and add to the mixing bowl. Use your hands, a pastry cutter, or Cuisinart to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse crumb mixture.
In a small bowl stir together apple cider vinegar, milk, and eggs. Whisk until combined.
Add sour milk mixture into the dry mixture. Use a spoon to mix just until combined.
Toss blueberries with 1 Tablespoon flour. Do this in a large bowl or a plastic bag.
NOTE: This step is optional. See post above for more info.
Add 2/3 of the blueberries to the batter and gently mix.
Evenly spread blueberry batter in the baking pan.
Spread the remaining 1/3 blueberries over the top of the batter.
Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the coffee cake batter and blueberries.
Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 38-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately or let cool and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

If you have a kitchen scale, please use it! Flour is the most unreliable ingredient to measure by weight, which is why we’ve listed the gram measurement for the flour first in the ingredients list above. Measuring flour by volume (in cups) is notoriously unreliable. If you need to measure the flour here with cups, use the scoop and level method for best results. For small amounts (1 teaspoon and less) we recommend just using a volume (teaspoon) measurement because many kitchen scales aren’t reliable in such small amounts.

Substitutions and Additions. Add some toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb topping before sprinkling on the top of the dough. Drizzle a quick cream cheese or powdered sugar glaze over the top of the coffee cake when it’s cooled. Use strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries in place of the blueberries if you like.

Keep the butter in the streusel topping from melting. For best results, use a fork or hand mixer, as the warmth from your hands can cause the butter to melt, affecting the final texture of the streusel. If it starts to soften too much, chill it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm it up.

Use fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen berries do not thaw the berries before adding to the batter and bake immediately.

What kind of pan should I use? We made this for a crowd so you can cut into the size pieces you desire. One 13” x 9” pan can be cut into 15-30 pieces depending on the size.

Reminder: Do not place a cold glass or ceramic dish into a hot oven. The temperature difference can cause the dish to break.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 piece
Calories: 284
Sugar: 19.8 g
Sodium: 88.6 mg
Fat: 13.4 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 3.7 g
Cholesterol: 52.5 mg