The Bundt cake was invented by Nordic Ware in the mid-20th century. Initially unpopular, it gained popularity after a cooking competition. There are many variations of the cake, with different flavors and recipes available, and it can be made in mini-pans or with fillings. Cake mixes are also available.
Most people are familiar with the Bundt cake, a circular cake with a hole in the center. This shape is made possible by baking the cake in a Bundt pan, which was invented in the mid-20th century by the Nordic Ware company. Its founder, H. David Dalquist, was inspired by the heavy pans that were used to make the popular European kugel cake, but these pans were so heavy that they weren’t always practical to use, and Dalquist looked for a means to create a pan weigh less, possibly illuminating the idea of using aluminum to create the Bundt pan.
It cannot be said that initially these pans were very popular, but that changed after a cooking competition in Pillsbury some 15 years later. One of the winners was a Bundt cake. News of this win and a line of Pillsbury cake mixes for Bundt pans greatly increased demand for the pans and today they remain among the best-selling cake pans.
It’s hard to describe the flavor or type of Bundt cake because there is such a large variety and myriad of recipes in books and online. One of the books deemed most useful for creating many varied cakes, and some savory recipes as well, is Bundt Cake Bliss: Delicious Desserts from Midwest Kitchens by Susanna Short. The cookbook features a foreword by H. David Dalquist’s wife and focuses solely on the many ways the cake can be interpreted and the skillet can be used.
Plus, there are still plenty of cake mixes that are perfect for Bundt pans. In appearance, most of these cakes look similar, with slightly fluted tops and sides. Some bakers prefer to use mini-pans, which create miniature versions of the classic Bundt. The color of each cake can depend on the ingredients, and some of the cakes are topped with things like powdered sugar, whipped cream, or icing.
Pound cake recipes are one of the most adaptable if people want to make a Bundt cake. Yet there is no reason to stop there. Other bakers choose cakes that aren’t quite as rich, and there are excellent low-fat Bundt cake recipes too. Some pies have a filling in the center, which can be achieved by filling the pan portion with batter and then adding the filling, before filling the pan with the rest of the batter. Alternatively, some people inject the filling into a pie after it’s baked.
Traditional Bundt cake flavors can include classics like vanilla, chocolate, and lemon. However, a search of Short’s book and online recipes will provide bakers with a plethora of choices in terms of flavor and ideas. Some of the more unusual recipes include ingredients like root beer, various types of alcohol, pumpkin, prunes or ginger, and fruit. For those who don’t have a lot of time, there are many cake mixes available that are perfect for Bundt pans and many of these can be adapted and made more special by adding extra toppings.
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