Cranberry Ginger Buckle with Almond Streusel
A tender, moist butter cake studded with tart cranberries and spicy candied ginger, topped with a crunchy almond crumb topping. The buckle's streusel contrasts beautifully with the soft crumb and bright fruit filling. Serve warm or at room temperature for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. This version uses both all-purpose and almond flour in the topping for texture and nuttiness, while the vanilla and cinnamon round out the warm spice profile.
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dustinggluten-free 1-to-1 blend1:1gluten-freegluten-free
may be slightly less tender
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoon salted butter, cut into 0.5 inch cubes and chilled
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, chilled and reserved separately
- ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cups almond flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounce fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3 oz candied ginger, finely choppedcrystallized ginger1:1vegan option
same texture and spice
- confectioners sugar, to serve(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 375F and prepare a 9 by 13 inch pan with spray oil and flour.
- 2
Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in food processor and pulse 6-8 times.
- 3
Add chilled butter (12 tablespoons) and pulse about 20 times until coarse crumbs form.
- 4
Transfer mixture to large bowl.
- 5
Measure 165 grams of crumb mixture back into food processor.
- 6
Add brown sugar, almond flour, and remaining butter (2 tablespoons) to food processor and pulse 20 times, then transfer to medium bowl.
- 7
In another medium bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla together.
- 8
Fold egg mixture into large bowl with flour mixture until just a few flour streaks remain.
- 9
Fold in cranberries and candied ginger, then transfer to prepared pan and smooth the top.
- 10
Squeeze almond flour mixture with hands to form clumps and scatter evenly over batter.
- 11
Bake until topping is golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean, 35-45 minutes.
- 12
Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes.
- 13
Dust with confectioners sugar and slice before serving.
Tips
Keep all butter cold before mixing to ensure a flaky, tender crumb. Work quickly and chill the food processor bowl if the kitchen is warm.
Do not overmix the batter once wet ingredients are added; fold gently just until flour streaks disappear to avoid a dense, tough cake.
If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before folding in to prevent color bleeding and excess moisture in the batter.
Good to Know
Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing not recommended due to crumb moisture.
Prepare through step 10 (batter and topping in pan), cover, and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Add 5 minutes to bake time if baking directly from cold.
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm with tea, coffee, or as a brunch centerpiece. Dust with confectioners sugar just before serving.
Common Mistakes
Do not overmix the wet ingredients into the dry to avoid overdeveloped gluten and a tough, dense cake.
Do not skip chilling the butter cubes to prevent a dense crumb lacking flakiness.
Do not thaw frozen cranberries before folding to avoid color leaching and excess liquid.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Vegan Options
same texture and spice
Gluten-Free Swaps
may be slightly less tender
General Alternatives
FAQ
Can I make this with frozen cranberries?
Yes, frozen cranberries work well. Do not thaw them before folding into the batter, as thawing releases juice and can stain the crumb and add excess moisture.
What if I don't have candied ginger?
Substitute dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or omit entirely and increase cranberries to 14 ounces. The cake will be less spicy but equally delicious.
How long can I keep leftover buckle?
Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerated up to 5 days. The crumb may absorb moisture over time but remains moist and tender.