Master Recipe

Buckle

NOTE: Traditional buckles are simply yellow cake batter with fruit folded in and streusel sprinkled on top. They are often not terribly fruity and taste more like coffee cake with fruit. In this version, we have used more fruit and less batter, and omitted the streusel topping. Also, the butter in this recipe is not part of the batter, but instead is melted in the pan while the oven preheats. The batter is added, then topped with fruit. Since the butter is not actually mixed into the batter, it surfaces to form a thin, crisp top. The cake batter is already quite sweet, so there is no need to sweeten or thicken the fruit. Softer fruits, such as berries and peaches, work best in a buckle; avoid pears and apples, which are too firm. Serves four to six.

  6    tablespoons unsalted butter

  ³/₄    cup all-purpose flour

  ³/₄    cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

  1    teaspoon baking powder

  ¹/₄    teaspoon salt

  ³/₄    cup milk

  2    cups sliced stone fruits or berries (not sweetened or thickened)