Martha Stewart Blueberry Buckle
Leave a Comment on I Tried Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Buckle, and It Tasted Like Something I Forgot
It smelled like August.
Not this August, but the one where I left the window open too long and the whole kitchen filled with bees. Mae was little. She cried. I laughed. I think.
The berries were on the edge. Not moldy. Just… soft. I touched them and something in me gave a little.
Her Highness’s Blueberry Buckle wasn’t on the plan. I saw it written on the back of a shopping list from last year. Folded into that old book I keep near the oven.
The one that still smells like vanilla and fire.
What the Original Looked Like
Martha’s version is buttery, tight, structured like a picnic dress.
A whole stick of butter in the batter, more for the streusel. Five cups of blueberries—five. Like she wants you to lose the cake in the fruit.
She says to cream the butter and sugar for three minutes. Not two. Not four. She says to let the topping rest in the fridge, like it’s gathering courage.
Her pan is springform, 10-inch.
Her buckle is golden. Crumbly on top. Tender inside.
It looks like something someone made for someone else. With care.
What I Did Differently
I used frozen blueberries. Still cold when they hit the batter. Didn’t thaw. Didn’t think.
My flour wasn’t sifted. I was too tired to pretend I cared.
I forgot to chill the streusel—just pressed it in with my fingers and told it to behave.
The pan was my old Pyrex. No springform. No patience.
And I think the baking powder was a little old. Like me. Still worked.
The Way It Happened in My Kitchen
The batter looked like sun through old curtains.
I creamed the butter too long because Mae called mid-way. She said she found that blue raincoat I used to wear. I didn’t know she kept it.
The smell hit fast. Sugar, vanilla, something burnt at the edge.
I folded the blueberries in gently—like I was putting a child to sleep.
Then dumped everything into the pan and scattered the topping with one hand. The other held the phone.
It baked slow. Loud. The kind of loud that fills the house and makes you wonder if you left something on.
I didn’t peek. Not once.
When the timer went off, I let it sit.
I always do.
A Few Things I Learned While It Baked
Buckle is a word that means to collapse.
But also to fasten.
Funny, that.
Frozen fruit works if you don’t expect it to behave.
The sugar crusts differently when you’re distracted.
It still smells like care. Even when you’re not giving much.
What I Did With the Extras
Ate a piece warm. Burnt my tongue. Didn’t care.
Left two slices on the counter under foil.
Mae came by later. Took one.
Said nothing. But she smiled.
Would I Make It Again?
Maybe.
When I need something soft that still holds its shape.
That’s As Much As I Remember
The pan’s still on the counter.
I don’t have the heart to wash it yet.
If soft food’s your thing, I did a cheesy potato mess last week you might like. similar feeling. different season.
FAQs
yes. don’t thaw them. just toss them in. it works. trust me.
nope. any 9- or 10-inch pan works. mine was old Pyrex. held just fine.
yes. both. warm is comfort. cold is memory.
soft middle. crisp top. tender edge. like a good apology.
yep. wrap it tight. it comes back to life in the oven—or close enough.
Check out More Recipes:
- Martha Stewart’S Yorkshire Pudding
- Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Whoopie Pies
- Martha Stewart’s Mac and Cheese
Martha Stewart Blueberry Buckle
Description
Soft, sweet, and just unstable enough to feel like someone you miss.
Ingredients
Streusel:
Cake:
Instructions
- Make the streusel topping. mash the butter into the sugar, flour, and salt with your hands. make clumps. it’s not supposed to be clean. chill it if you remember.
- Butter and flour your pan. any 10-inch one will do. springform if you’re Martha. Pyrex if you’re tired.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder. it’ll look like dust. that’s right.
- Cream the butter and sugar. longer than you think. until it softens and sighs.
- Add the egg and vanilla. stir slow.
- Alternate adding flour mix and milk. start and end with flour. be gentle.
- Fold in the blueberries. like they might cry if you’re too rough.
- Scrape into the pan. smooth the top.
- Scatter the streusel. don’t overthink it. just let it fall.
- Bake at 350°F for about 60 minutes. check with a skewer. a few moist crumbs is perfect.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. then loosen the edges. let it sit again.
- Serve warm or not. it holds memory either way.