Blueberries are one of my favourite types of fruit. In the summer, in my part of Canada, the berries grow wild on the side of the road and along the gravel lanes which wind their way up the highlands. The wild blueberries at home are both sweet and tart, full of flavour and smaller and darker in colour than the ones I usually find at the supermarket. They are bursting with flavour.

During blueberry season, we make the most of this roadside bounty. My aunties, mother and myself would go out picking the berries by the pint. If the haul was good, we could freeze some. If not, we'd use what we had and bake with them. Muffins, pie and crumbles would follow, as well as blueberry buckle – a cake made from a thick, muffin-like batter; topped with a sweet crumb.

Blueberry buckle is a great breakfast cake. It only uses a small amount of sugar and butter - it's fruit-forward and not too sweet. I like having a slice with some yoghurt and coffee. Instead of being folded into the batter, the blueberries are added in their own layer, in between two layers of batter. The result is super tasty, but also very visually pleasing.

I don't make blueberry bakes very often because the blueberries you get year-round aren't as flavourful as the ones I enjoy when I'm home, but Bunalun Organic's frozen wild blueberries are delicious and taste very similar. I defrost and drain the berries (use the juice in a smoothie; don't throw it out!) before adding them to the cake.

Wild blueberry buckle

Serves 12

Ingredients:

For the cake batter:

100g soft brown sugar

75g softened butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

250ml buttermilk

250g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp salt

200g wild blueberries (if using frozen, defrost and drain the liquid before using)

For the crumb topping:

70g plain flour

pinch of salt

50g softened butter

50g soft brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Line a square 9"x9" baking tray with parchment paper (allowing for some overhang to easily remove the cake later) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

2. Make the crumb topping: in a small bowl, combine all of the listed ingredients. Using your fingers, rub all of the ingredients together until the mixture is well-combined and crumbles easily. Set aside.

3. Make the cake batter: in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, Beat this mixture until pale and creamy; about five minutes. Add the buttermilk and mix to combine.

4. Sift the self-raising flour into the mixture and add the salt. Using a spatula, gently fold the flour in until you have a thick, smooth batter.

5. Add half the batter to the lined baking tin and spread evenly over the bottom. Add the blueberries, then top with the remaining batter. Spread evenly over the berries (it doesn't have to be perfect).

6. Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes; checking after 35. When a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean; it's ready.

7. Cool the cake in the tin for 25 minutes, then carefully remove from the tray using the excess parchment paper for handles. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

* The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.