With a spongy, moist texture and a crumbly topping, a buckle is an American dessert that's similar to a fruit cobbler, but it's easier to assemble and more forgiving in terms of presentation. Unlike with other cakes, if the top of this cakey dessert "buckles" and collapses inward, you've prepared the treat correctly.

Buckle was originally eaten as a main course, appetizer, or breakfast dish. It’s called a buckle because the fruit is sprinkled on top of the batter before baking, resulting in indentations or "buckling" on the surface of the cake, whereas cobblers require you to carefully dollop batter or dough on top of the fruit filling.

A buckle's streusel topping requires only sugar, flour, butter, and salt, while the cake is made with flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, milk, egg, and your choice of fruit. Whether you choose berries or peaches, pieces of fruit can also be mixed into the batter, and all buckles are better with whipped cream or powdered sugar.