The Buckle Makes Great Use of Summer Fruit

It’s easy to see how the crumble and the crisp got their names. Just look at their toppings. But for me at least, the buckle was more of a mystery.That’s because I was thinking belts when I should have been thinking about floors. Or knees. Something that would give way under pressure, which is what happens when buttery buckle batter collapses slightly into the fruit beneath it as it bakes. Its surface cracks unevenly and browns marvelously, while any sugar that you’ve sprinkled on top melts into a crunchy crust.All buckles have this distinctive pitted, craterlike top, but not all are the same beneath the surface. Some are as syrupy and jammy as the filling of a pie. Others are more solid and soft-crumbed, like coffeecake.This buckle splits the difference, with copious amounts of fruit and just enough batter to bind it together. The result is moister and more like pudding than cake, but more sliceable than crumble or crisp.You can use any kind of ripe, juicy summer fruit you like here. I chose berries partly for their intense sweet-tart flavor and deep color. The other reason was the alliteration. Berry buckle is more fun to say than peach buckle, though diced peaches, nectarines and plums bake up just as nicely.You can even take this recipe into the fall. As long as the fruit you use is soft and juicy, it should work well. I plan to try it with figs, persimmon and pineapple (though not all at once). Beware of harder fruit like apples and pears, which would probably need to be cooked through before being folded into the batter. A buckle doesn’t bake long enough to soften them.Then in winter, feel free to substitute frozen fruit if that’s what you have. Just don’t thaw it first, or its seeping liquid will thin out the batter too much. Stir it in quickly while still frozen, then add a couple of minutes onto the baking time to compensate for the chill.Because of all that fruit, buckles are best eaten on the same day they are baked. They tend to get soggy as they sit.You can serve wedges on their own, in all of their simple, buttery glory. Or try them topped with large scoops of ice cream, letting it melt all over that beautifully buckled surface.Recipe:Summer Berry BuckleTime: 1 hourYield: 8 servings1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan1/2 cup sugar, more for sprinkling1/4 cup light brown sugar3 large eggs, at room temperature1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg1/4 teaspoon baking powder4 1/2 cups summer berries (a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or use any one kind)Cinnamon, for dusting (optional)Powdered sugar, for dusting1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter, sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest and vanilla and mix until combined.3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg and baking powder, and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until just combined.4. Gently fold berries into the batter, then spread batter in pan and sprinkle lightly with more sugar. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until top is golden and cake is cooked through.5. Allow cake to cool, then sprinkle with cinnamon, if using, and powdered sugar.
© 2015 New York Times News Service