Blueberry Buckle by the beach
Portland, Maine recs and Cake!
You’ve seen it on insta, celebs and influencers are storming the beaches and lobster shacks of New England’s most northern state this summer. They’re pulling out their striped sweaters and hitting the rocky ol’ Maine beaches. Maine is also referred to as Vacationland, and this year it is living up to its reputation.
Why have I been living vicariously through other people’s trips? If you’ve ever met me, you might know I love Maine more than anywhere else on Earth. I can’t get enough of the salty beach air, lobster rolls, fried clams and don’t even mind the mosquitoes. Before I get to our recipe, a tribute to Maine blueberries (the very best), I want to share a few of my favorite Portland recs. It’s a special place and I hope you check it out.
A day of eating and drinking in Portland, Maine
Favorite Bakery (and coffee too!): Tandem Bakery and Coffee Roasters. They use bold flavors and make seriously good and interesting pies and pastries. I always buy coffee beans to bring home with me to grind and drink long after I leave.
Favorite Breakfast: Becky’s Diner. Classic diner vibes on the waterfront. If you are willing to venture a little bit outside of Portland, Palace Diner is the place everyone can’t stop talking about. It’s perfect in every way and don’t miss the grilled banana bread.
Favorite Lunch: Ramona’s vs. Rose’s Foods. I’m probably eating a lobster roll at lunch but when I’m not these two shops make some of the best sandwiches to bring down to the beach.
Favorite Happy Hour: The Shop. There is nowhere better to grab drinks, beer and fresh oysters. The Shop is our go-to to get warmed up for an evening in town.
Favorite Dinner: Scales. It’s big and breezy dining room is right on the water, smells fishy in a good way and everything you want in an upscale casual seafood dinner.
Favorite Brewery: Oxbow but don’t hold me to it. There are so many great breweries in the southern Maine area that are worth trying.
As promised, our recipe this month is bursting with blueberries and perfect for a morning at the beach with a cup of coffee. Among my favorite blueberry desserts is the blueberry buckle. It’s a coffee cake that gets it name because the cake “buckles” under the weight of the blueberries and streusel/crumble topping.
I wrote my version to fit in a 9” springform pan but a 9” cake or square pan is just fine too. If you use a round or square pan, line the entire pan with parchment (including lapping up and over the sides of the pan) so it is easy to lift out of the pan once baked and cooled.
Before making the cake batter, turn on the oven, prepare your crumble and line your cake pan as the recipe says. Doing these steps first will set you up for a smooth transition from mixing bowl to oven when your batter is ready.
Blueberry Buckle with a Lemon Glaze
Yield: 9” springform pan
Crumble Topping
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
¾ cup (94g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50g) dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, diamond crystal is my preferred brand
1 teaspoon (1g) cinnamon
Cake
2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2g) kosher salt
½ cup (95g) sugar
½ cup (75g) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon (¼ - ½ conventionally sized lemon) lemon zested
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
1 cup (237) buttermilk
1 heaping cup blueberries
1 tablespoon(16g) all-purpose flour, for coating blueberries
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the crumble, cut butter into ½ cubes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the butter and mix by hand. Continue to work in the butter until the crumble will stay packed when pressed between your fingers. I’ll make a range of sizes for crumble pieces. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Prepare the springform pan by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Line the springform pan with the parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, add the sugar, dark brown sugar and lemon zest. Mix together - combining the sugars and zest will help bring out the lemon flavor. Add the butter and with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat together the sugar mix and butter until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, scraping down the bowl after adding each ingredient. Once incorporated, add half of the dry ingredients then stream in the buttermilk. Follow with the remaining half of the dry ingredients until just combined. Toss the blueberries in the remaining tablespoon of flour - this helps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
Pour the batter (it is on the thicker side though!) into the springform pan. The parchment paper may move around so just hold down with a finger until most of the batter covers the pan and will keep it in place. Pull the crumble from the refrigerator and top the cake until it is covered with crumble. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crumble has taken even more of golden brown color and a knife or cake tester comes out clean. Let cool.
Lemon Glaze
Half a lemon, juiced
Powdered sugar, about ½ cup
Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the springform pan and transfer the cake to a plate, gently removing the parchment paper in the process. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar to desired glaze consistency. With a whisk or in a piping bag, drizzle the glaze over the cake.
My recommendation is to serve with tea or coffee. The cake will stay fresh wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I can’t stop talking about…
I made NYT Cooking’s Atlantic Beach Pie for my twin, and we agreed it was light, delicious and a perfect summer treat.
The Las Culturistas upcoming culture awards.
I have a request: I would love to do some sort of fundraiser this fall. The organization(s) is TBD, I am open to suggestions. Last year, I held and participated in a few bake sales both individually and through Richmond Bakers Against Racism which was really special for the local community. I don’t have know a lot of people in Columbus so a bake sale doesn’t feel like the right fit. If you have any ideas for how to do something meaningful, please reach out!!
I can't wait to make the blueberry buckle for my family! I love your recipes - keep them coming!!