Celebrate National Bundt Day

Today is National Bundt Day (an offically-named celebration day here in Minnesota, birthplace of the Bundt). The iconic pan was invented in the late 1950s by Nordic Ware founder H. David (Dave) Dahlquist. You can read more about the birth of the Bundt in Jenny’s post from 2018. Although cakes baked in ring shapes have been around for centuries, Bundt cakes got a boost after Minnesota-based cookware manufacturer Nordic Ware trademarked the name “Bundt” and began producing the pans from cast aluminum. The pan was nearly a flop until 1966, when the “Tunnel of Fudge” cake, baked in a Bundt pan, won the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

The Bundt cake can trace its origins in part from rich European cakes called Gugelhupf (or Gugelhopf), which were popular among Jewish communities in north central Europe.  In the northern part of Germany, Gugelhupf is called Bundkuchen, a name formed by joining the words Kuchen (cake) and Bund. There is some dispute on the significance of the word bund. It translates variously as band, bundle, or bond (as in alliance). Whatever the origin, we can all agree that Bundt cakes are fabulous. Using an intricately shaped Bundt pan makes for a stunning presentation.

You can find several books featuring Bundt cakes (including Jenny’s 101 Things to Do with a Bundt® Pan), as well as Bundt cake recipes galore in the EYB Library. Here are some Member favorites:

• Triple lemon velvet bundt cake from Rose’s Baking Basics by Rose Levy Beranbaum
• Chocolate sour cream bundt cake with chocolate glaze from Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food by Sam Mogannam and Dabney Gough (pictured above)
• All-in-one holiday bundt cake from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
• Blood orange & olive oil bundt cake from BBC Good Food Magazine by Edd Kimber
• Thyme and lemon bundt cake from Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson
• Marble bundt cake from Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
• Peach bundt cake with lemon glaze and lavender from Call Me Cupcake
• Maple-glazed doughnut bundt cake from Canadian Living
• Pasta bundt loaf from Food & Wine Magazine by Justin Chapple