My old refrigerator retired this weekend. After 15 years of great service we decided that it was time to replace it with a newer, better model. Though the new refrigerator is much like the old one in both look and features, I was excited at the prospect of having a new toy in the kitchen. Well, it might be stretching things a bit to call a fridge a toy, but it’s new, at least.
Out of all the contents of my old icebox, quite a few items never made it into the new one. Long-forgotten condiment jars and chicken carcasses that were meant to be turned into delicious stock were tossed instead. I still haven’t gotten into the habit of labeling/dating my frozen goods so anything that I considered old was purged.
How old is too old for the freezer, do you know? The FDA website has published these storage guidelines for certain foods. It says that most foods stored at 0° F will keep indefinitely so the guidelines are more for quality rather than for consumption safety. Still, I exceeded some of their limits. Better safe than sorry.
Feeling quite guilty for my wastefulness, I nixed all my weekend cooking plans and decided to play the what-can-I-make-with-what-I-already-have game.
Out of frozen blueberries, overripe bananas and some kitchen staples, this cake came to be. As is typical with buckles or crumbles, blueberries (usually fresh instead of frozen) were mixed into the batter and sprinkled with a streusel topping. I deviated from tradition by adding my last two ripe bananas just because I was determined not to waste anymore food this weekend (and also because this recent recipe yielded such great results).
After 1 1/2 hours waiting for this cake to come out of the oven, I was ready to have a slice. I skipped the prescribed cooling period and cut for myself a generous slice. My initial reaction was to think that the cake could have used more time in the oven. As you can see, the fruit to batter ratio is so high–one pound blueberries and two large bananas–that there is hardly any “cake” visible in my pictures. But beneath the crisp streusel topping is the tasty combination of blueberries, bananas and yes, cake–soft, moist and ridiculously easy to devour.
I’m beginning to think that there is no dessert that can’t benefit from the addition of bananas.
Blueberry Banana Buckle
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 6 tablespoons plus 1 3/4 cups flour plus more for pan
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 pound blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
Instructions
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Heat your oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, tap out the excess and set aside.
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To make the streusel topping, in a separate bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons butter, 6 tablespoons flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
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In another bowl whisk together the remaining flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed until the mixture is pale, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat again until smooth. Add the flour mixture and milk and mix (low speed) for another minute. Fold the blueberries and mashed bananas into the batter with a rubber spatula and pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping and bake the cake for 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool before serving.
Recipe Notes
Here is the link to the original Saveur recipe without my adjustments: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Huckleberry-Buckle
Oh my, this looks so good. I’ve used up all my berries making sorbet. I can see them every time I look at my backside in the mirror.
I’m not good at labeling my freezer food either so I’ve started a new routine of eating from the freezer the last week of every month. I have begun storing things in the freezer by drawers. 4 drawers, 4 months. It’s not very scientific but I think it will work. 🙂
Oh, Maureen, you’re too funny!
I do like your system, though. I think I’ll try it. I still haven’t bought anything at all this week and still eating out of the fridge/pantry–so far, so good! 🙂
Jean – so excited for you guys with the new fridge – it is beautiful! This buckle looks divine and your photos are just breath taking. Love it! Hope you are going to have a wonderful Sunday!!!
Wow you created something so amazing with what you had on hand!! 🙂
This cake sounds wonderful! I love the crunchy topping and that the inside is brimming with berries, it would be heavenly! I must try making a buckle! Hope your weekend is going wonderfully :)!
I know what you mean!! Sometimes I do so well keeping up on what is in the fridge and freezer, and the I seem to lose control. Congrats on the new “toy”… funny how something new inspires us to get creative, and you certainly did. Banana and blueberry are some of our favorite flavors!
I do believe a cake like this can double as breakfast…after all, it includes bananas!
Laura, you bet! I enjoyed this for breakfast for a couple of days and I don’t normally even eat ’til noon. 🙂
A new fridge sounds like a cool new kitchen toy to me. I replaced my dishwasher recently and I was thrilled with the newness of it! Your blueberry banana bucke looks good and the pictures are beautiful, love the purple iris. I’m always grabbing bananas at the market, an avid home baker should not be without her ripe bananas on the counter!
All kitchen appliances are toys to me. I cannot wait to have a house of my own to pick them all out. This buckle looks delicious. Blueberries and bananas go so well together.
Yay for your new fridge! 🙂 Sometimes using up kitchen staples that you have on hand results in the best things, doesn’t it? This blueberry banana buckle sounds lovely!
I am wishing your old refrigerator great retirement LOL! Congrats on a new toy..:)))
Your blueberry banana buckle look fantastic..what a lovely presentation, recipe and photos are very pretty too!!!
I’ve been on a fruit dessert kick lately and this looks wonderful.
I love the addition of the bananas to this buckle 🙂 and yay for you on the new fridge, enjoy! Beautiful photo of the purple Iris.
I feel really sad when some trusted things have to be replaced with new ones, better functioning ones, I feel like I have to start all over again…but then that is just me. Change is inevitable.
This looks like a really wonderful treat! Will try this weekend.
What a simply wonderful post my friend – the photography is beautiful and the recipe drool-worthy 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
These are such gorgeous photos to compliment a lovely dessert. Your first one of the purple flower – those water drops are jaw dropping! Lovely recipe and a beautiful spring post. Thanks for sharing!
Congrats on the new toy!! I need to clean out my freezer also, great buckle!! love the overload of filling!!
looks ridiculously yummy! this comes out of old ingredients and leftovers in the fridge? you are indeed a talented and imaginative cook! kudos!
This looks absolutely delicious! I’ve never made a buckle before but I’ve got plenty of ripe bananas to try out your recipe! The blueberry filling looks so incredible I can just imagine how amazing a slice of this yummy cake is!
I think I would have skipped the cooling period as well,,,this looks so delightful! Gorgeous crust on this beauty and lovely photos 🙂
Congrats on the new appliance and what a delicious way to celebrate 🙂
I’m guilty of keeping foods in the freezer for too long. All I can do to avoid wastefulness is like you, try to make something of what’s left. Though your buckle is much nicer than anything I could make with my freezer contents:) It looks delicious and again I love the banana addition. My mouth is watering now Jean 😉
Oh, I am confident that you can create something very tasty and beautiful with very little, Nancy, but I’m flattered that you said that. 🙂
I love warm fruit cakes fresh out of the oven. This would be gorgeous with some good vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Oh, your buckle is so beautiful and tempting!!! Congrats on the Top 9…hooray!!!!
Thanks, Liz! 🙂
oh…..I love buckles! This is gorgeous and looks so wonderful and inviting!
This looks sooo good! And the photographs are really great too. I’ll have to try this!
Seems like you had Top 9 with this – Congrats Jean! Beautiful buckle indeed, and I love the banana and blueberry combo. Perfect cake! I’m so happy about your new fridge!! I still remember when our fridge was new (a couple months ago)… spotless and shining! Now… not so much… lol. Enjoy!!!
Oh my, this looks amazing, especially that crunchy topping. I love the blueberry and banana combination. Congratulations on your new fridge. I love new toys for the kitchen.
I love the banana in this buckle! I grew up with my mom always making a blueberry buckle (reallyyy good!) but adding the banana is such a fun twist! I’ll have to try this next time…. yum!
Maureen is making me giggle. I need to follow her freezer organization. YAY for the new fridge:)Fabulous buckle. I love buckles any time and with any berry. Such lovely spring photos, Jean:)
What a gorgeous cake and I wouldn’t be able to wait, either. What a thing to create with stuff found in the back of a fridge; if I could be so lucky! Usually husband makes a meal with our old, dying leftovers and it is always delicious…but this fabulous buckle is worth going out to buy the ingredients for! And happy new fridge (I want one)!
made twice now! rave reviews…noticed nutmeg missing from L & A recipe (fyi) ;). I used 2 tsp (vs 1 &1/2) baking powder 2nd version– more cake like texture. Good both ways. Still experimenting with frozen blueberry brands; one had no liquid when thawed and another package had about 1/2 cup, which I omitted. thought it might make cake too spongy, but may try with liquid next time!
Highly recommend…even my kids love it!
Kellie, your comment made my day! I’m so glad you tried the buckle and liked it! The banana really adds something doesn’t it? 🙂 Thanks for pointing out my omission of the nutmeg–I would never have skipped that part of the recipe. Will correct. Yes, I think I used frozen blueberries that had more liquid in it, too. When you find the brand you like, please let me know. Thanks again for trying the recipe! 🙂
hiya! the Ingredients are missing the nutmeg : ) is it 3/4 tsp?
Sweetie, thanks for the note on the nutmeg. It is not essential for this recipe so you can leave it out but if you would like to use it, you will only need 1/8 teaspoon. A little goes a long way. I updated the recipe. Thanks again!!
I was looking for just a recipe that I had in mind for a Birthday gift to bring to work tomorrow. This is excacatly what I had in mind. It is in the oven now. Thanks.
Victoria, thanks for giving my recipe a chance. I hope it worked out okay. 🙂
Oh my goodness! This was amazing! I have a passion for cooking, but baking desserts is always my Achilles Heel. This was easy and is absolutely delicious, so much so, I have been told that I have to make it again tomorrow!
Oh, I’m so glad to hear this, Kenzie! So happy this recipe worked for you and thanks so much for taking the time to give me feedback!
I just made your buckle and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! 🙂
I made your blueberry banana buckle a while ago and loved it. I had some ripe bananas today so I wanted to make it again but when I went to the grocery store they didn’t have blueberries so I bought strawberries instead and the result is just as good. My kids will have a yummy snack tomorrow thanks to you 🙂
Nathalie, I’m so happy to hear that this recipe worked out for you and great to know that it is equally good with strawberries! Will have to try it your way next time. 🙂 Thanks so much for the nice feedback!