Blackberry Buckle
A buttery cast-iron skillet cake topped with sugared fresh blackberries that sink and "buckle" as it bakes. Deeply golden, tender, and dead easy.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
- 3 cups fresh blackberries
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- confectioners' sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Melt the butter in a 10–12-inch cast iron skillet. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the milk and vanilla. (If the milk is too cold, the butter will solidify — warm the mixture if needed to re-melt the butter.)
- Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. The batter will be lumpy — don't over-stir, or the cake won't be tender.
- Scrape the batter into the cast iron skillet. Toss the blackberries with the 2 tbsp granulated sugar, then scatter over the batter. Bake about 40 minutes, until deeply golden and springy when pressed. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.
Notes
Lumpy batter is good: Stir just until combined for a tender crumb; over-mixing toughens it.
Watch the butter: If the milk is cold the melted butter can seize — warm the mixture to re-melt it before combining.
Berries on top: They sink and "buckle" the cake as it bakes — that's the signature look.
Cast iron bonus: The skillet gives deeply golden, slightly crisp edges.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg