Brian's Strawberry Buckle

In his Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook, Brian writes that “An old-timey buckle delivers the most bang for the least amount of work, and it’s one of my favorite breakfast treats. The classic buckle is a cross between a light coffee cake and a cobbler, with fresh fruit gently pressed into a quickly made batter. A hefty scattering of turbinado sugar across the top adds a solid crunch, while it also protects the fruit from scorching. Enjoy it throughout the year with other fresh fruit, such as peaches or blackberries (or a combination of the two). When using strawberries or peaches, a pour of heavy cream on top of each serving wouldn’t hurt anything—but that’s still pretty much true no matter what fruit you choose.” 

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup full-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 pint (about 12 ounces) strawberries, hulled and rinsed (if large, cut into halves)
• Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, pie pan, or cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use a fork to stir the lemon zest into the granulated sugar until well mixed. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to infuse. Add the butter to the sugar mixture in the bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until well combined and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle (where the zest may collect).
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper.
4. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, heavy cream, and vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour and alternating with the buttermilk mixture; beat well on medium speed after each addition. The batter will be thick.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan all the way to the edges without smoothing the surface. Distribute the strawberries evenly on top, pressing them lightly into the batter, skin-side up if cut. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly across the top.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then serve directly from the pan, pouring some heavy cream on each portion, if desired.

Brian Noyes is the founder of the Red Truck Bakery in Marshall, Virginia, and the author of the Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook. Brian trained at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. 

While he was the art director at The Washington Post and Smithsonian magazines, Brian baked pies and breads on weekends in his Virginia Piedmont farmhouse and sold them out of an old red truck he bought from designer Tommy Hilfiger. The bakery now has two locations in historic buildings, ships thousands of baked goods nationwide, and has earned accolades from Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.