The Beauty of Bundt: Varied Recipes for the Beloved Pan 

Two in three American kitchens have one. It’s round with a fluted top and a hole in the middle and can transform a first-time baker’s cake into a masterpiece. It even got a shoutout in the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” when Andrea Martin’s character, Aunt Voula, placed a potted plant in its middle. I’m talking about the Bundt pan, a decorative take on the tube pan that can turn the most basic cake into a work of edible art.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The Nordic Ware Co. brought the Bundt pan into the American kitchen. The 72-year-old Minneapolis-based company was founded by husband and wife team David and Dotty Dalquist. The couple’s basement served as Nordic Ware’s first headquarters.

Initially, the company produced specialty Scandinavian cookware items like the rosette and krumkake irons. But it was the introduction of the Bundt pan in the early 1950s that transformed the company.

Two local women approached the company seeking a lightweight alternative to the heavy cast-iron bundkuchen pan. In response to the request, the company created the Bundt pan. They also trademarked the name. Just like slow cookers are often referred to as the trademarked name Crock-Pot, fluted tube cake pans are almost always referred to as Bundt pans.

The beauty of the Bundt pan is in the design. The hole in the middle actually makes the cake bake more evenly than a traditional cake pan. Unlike a cake made in a traditional cake pan, you won’t find any undercooked areas in the middle of a Bundt cake.

But it’s the distinctive swirls in the pan that really set it apart from other cake pans. The built-in pattern creates a cake that looks beautiful without any frosting. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is all that is needed to produce a Food Channel quality cake.

The Bundt pan had a slow start in the popularity department. That all changed in 1966 when Texas housewife Ella Helfrich entered the Pillsbury Bake-Off competition. Sadly, Mrs. Helfrich didn’t win (the Golden Gate Snack Bread nabbed the first-place prize), but her second-place chocolate fudge-filled cake baked in a Nordic Ware Bundt cake pan kicked off a national baking sensation. Thanks to her Tunnel of Fudge cake, annual sales of the Bundt pan doubled in just one year.

Today’s Bundt cake recipes can take you from a scrumptious breakfast coffeecake to a crowd-pleasing pasta entrée perfect for a dinner buffet. But the Bundt isn’t relegated to recipes that are for only us humans. The trusty pan is the perfect shape to make an edible birdseed wreath, much to the delight of our feathered friends looking for an edible winter treat.

SOMETHING SWEET

Coffee and a slice of sweet cake made in a Bundt pan make a perfect morning pairing. But how about combining the two into one delicious recipe? Try incorporating your favorite coffee into your Bundt cake recipe.

“Coffee, either in the liquid form or finely ground beans, are great flavor enhancers to recipes,” explained Vicki Wilson. The owner and founder of Door County Coffee Company headquartered in Carlsville, Wilson loves coffee and loves to talk about adding a bit of java into your regular cooking routine.

“If you’re making anything with chocolate, replace some of the liquid with coffee. You’ll discover that a little tweak of coffee will bring out the flavor of the chocolate and even add a little richness to the recipe,” Wilson said. It’s not only Wilson who loves her product, but also the many customers who have enjoyed her locally-roasted beans available in a multitude of flavor combinations.

“Our customers love to share their recipes with us. We publish many of them on our website so others can enjoy them,” she said.

Linda Bonwill is one of those customers so happy with her Door County Coffee purchase that she incorporated it into a sweet cake made in a Bundt pan.

“I love the pecan cinnamon coffee cake that Linda shared with us,” said Wilson. “It uses our Pecan Cinnamon Ice Cream coffee that really enhances the flavor of the cake. I just made this cake for weekend guests and they loved it! Using a Bundt pan makes the recipe as visually beautiful as it is delicious.”

For dessert, try adding a little after-dinner whiskey into your chocolate cake batter. That little bit of whiskey brings out the rich chocolaty flavor in a whiskey-chocolate Bundt cake. And if the chocolate in the cake isn’t enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, finish the cake with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.

SOMETHING SAVORY

Don’t forget to try some savory recipes in your trusty Bundt pan. The pan is perfect for shaping bread dough into decorative wreath designs and even forming a traditional meatloaf into a buffet-worthy presentation.

Pasta is a perfect ingredient to be molded into edible art via the Bundt pan. Make a circular-shaped pasta loaf with cooked spaghetti flavored with whole ricotta, Parmesan, fresh basil, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Think of it as a pasta casserole stuffed into a decorative ring mold.

The mixture is packed into a greased Bundt pan and baked. After a brief rest, simply unmold and slice. The pasta Bundt loaf is an easy dish to prepare for a crowd and makes a fun focal point for a winter buffet. Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese and your favorite marinara sauce.

AND SOMETHING FOR THE BIRDS

I saved my favorite use of the Bundt pan for last. I have a special affinity for birds. In fact, you might even say birds are part of my extended family.

My father, Earl Reitz, along with my grandfather Mathew Reitz, ran a successful feed company in Hammond, Indiana, when I was growing up. Making bird seed blends for various national companies was one of the many items the company produced. As homage to my late father and grandfather and a tribute to their company, MGR Feed, I frequently make homemade birdseed wreaths formed in – what else? – a Bundt pan.

You probably have seen decorative birdseed wreaths in fancy gardening catalogs or garden shops. With a bag of birdseed, a packet of Knox unflavored gelatin, a few tablespoons of corn syrup and some fl our, you can make your own birdseed wreath with your trusty fluted tube pan.

The gelatin-and-fl our mixture becomes an edible glue that, when mixed with your favorite birdseed blend, creates a mixture that gets tightly packed into the greased tube pan. Let the wreath dry out for a minimum of 48 hours in a cool place in your home. It may look dry sooner but, trust me, it won’t be ready. A 5-pound bag of bird seed will yield three birdseed wreaths. Smaller seed wreaths can be prepared in miniature Bundt pans.

Once dry, simply unmold on a sheet of wax paper and tie with a decorative ribbon. Your birdseed wreath is ready to hang in the backyard, providing a winter feast for your feathered friends.