This strawberry buckle is a recipe for a soft, tender cake with juicy fresh strawberries and a sweet crumble topping. It’s an old-fashioned dessert that’s quick and easy to make in a pan! The outside becomes crispy, while the inside remains soft and buttery.
Looking for delicacies to prepare in strawberry season? Check out more of my favorite strawberry recipes.
Because you’ll love this strawberry buckle recipe
This strawberry buckle is very similar to a coffee cake, baked with juicy fresh berries so that the cake falls or “bends” under the weight of the fruit. I love old fashioned desserts and this one is perfect for strawberry season! Here’s what makes it better:
- Soft and buttery. This strawberry buckle recipe has all the ease of a tart, with the soft, buttery crumb of an ultra-moist coffee cake.
- Made in a pan. The thick batter is studded with chopped fresh strawberries and cooks easily in a pan. Leaves the edges crispy while keeping the inside moist and tender.
- Easy to make. Mix the mixture in a few minutes and then cook. This buckle recipe requires one bowl, no mixer, and minimal effort. Waiting for this cake to cool is the hardest part!
Ingredients you will need
You can make this strawberry buckle with just a few pantry ingredients. Below are some notes. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable list with amounts.
- Butter – Brought to room temperature. If you want, you can also replace the butter with oil.
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and salt. I use granulated sugar, but you can also use light brown sugar.
- Vanilla and Eggs – Like butter, I recommend letting the eggs come to room temperature. We also recommend using real vanilla and not imitation.
- Lemon zest – Optional, but I love the fresh lemon zest along with the strawberry flavors in this dessert.
- Milk – If necessary, you can use whole milk, 2% milk, or a dairy-free alternative.
- Strawberries – Wash, clean and chop coarsely. I cut each berry into quarters for larger pieces. You can also make this cake with frozen strawberries, just be sure to let them thaw completely and dry them with paper towels.
- Collapse – The crumble is easy to prepare with butter, flour, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. It’s the same streusel topping I use for my blueberry cobbler and crumb cake recipes.
How to make a strawberry buckle
This strawberry buckle comes together very easily and cooks up deliciously crisp and tender in my cast iron panwhich I love. Follow this simple step by step and Remember to scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Mix the batter. Start by creaming butter and sugar and add the eggs, vanilla, salt and yeast. Stir in the lemon zest, then add the flour and milk. Finally, add the strawberries.
- Assemble. Add cake batter to a greased 10-inch oven-safe pan. In a bowl, chop the crumble ingredients together. Sprinkle the crumble over the batter.
- Baking. Place the entire pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350°F until the top is golden brown. Leave the buckle to cool and then dust it with icing sugar before serving.
What if I don’t have a pan?
If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, you can still make this strawberry buckle in a hinged panor a 9-inch round pan. You will just need to increase the cooking time a little. Check the cake for doneness using a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the buckle is cooked!
Easy variations
- Change the fruit. You can make a buckle using any seasonal fruit. Use fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. A peach buckle would also be lovely in summer (reminds you of peach cobbler?). I can’t wait to make an apple buckle in the fall!
- Add the icing. I usually use a simple dusting of icing sugar on top of the buttery crumble. But, if you prefer, add a simple sweet frosting like the one I use for my strawberry cake.
- Add some spices. Instead of lemon zest, warm up the flavors in this recipe with strawberry buckle with a few pinches of ground cinnamon.
Serving Tips
This strawberry buckle is an easy last minute dessert when we’re expecting friends and family. It’s great served with coffee or tea, or you can enjoy it sliced with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a tasty summer treat. If I have any strawberries left over, I turn them into homemade strawberry syrup to drizzle on top!
How to store
- To conserve. Store any leftover strawberry buckle in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. You can also freeze the strawberry cake either whole or in slices. Wrap it tightly with a double layer of plastic wrap and store frozen for up to 2 months. You will need to thaw the strawberry buckle at room temperature before serving.
Other recipes with strawberries
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Description
It’s easy strawberry buckle it’s an old-fashioned dessert made with fresh strawberries and a sweet crumbled topping. Cooked in a pan so it’s crunchy on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside!
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- The zest of a lemon (approx 1 tbsp)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 half a kilo of strawberries, roughly chopped
Gasket
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cubed
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Optional: icing sugar to dust the surface
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 10-in cast iron pan (or 10 inches Springform pan) with the butter and set aside.
- In your bowl food processor equipped with paddle attachmentmix butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and lemon zest. Mix for 1 minute until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour and milk in alternating increments, starting and ending with the flour, mixing until smooth.
- Stir in the strawberries and spread them into the prepared pan.
- Place all topping ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, mix the ingredients until they resemble coarse sand. Use your hands to squeeze the mixture into large crumbs. Sprinkle batter over top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired.
Notes
- Store airtight for up to 3 days.
