National Bundt Day is celebrated on November 15 every year. Bundt cakes can be any kind of cake, just as long as they’re baked in a Bundt pan. The pan design was derived from a type of European cake called the Gugelhupf, and now it’s popular throughout the country.
History of National Bundt Day
The simple and elegant Bundt cakes were developed when the company Nordic Ware decided to introduce a new type of cake pan based on a type of European cake.
Rose Joshua and Fanni Schanfield, members of the Hadassah Society, approached the founders of Nordic Ware H. Davey Dalquist and Mark S. Dalquist. They were hoping that Nordic Ware could produce a pan for the traditional Gugelhupf cake. The founders agreed and produced a small run of these brand new ‘Bundt’ pans with the ‘t’ added for marketing.
The first run sold very poorly and the company considered discontinuing the range. Eventually, it was mentioned in ‘The New Good Housekeeping’ and started picking up in popularity.
The Bundt pan shot to popularity after Ella Helfrich won the Pillsbury bake-off with her ‘Tunnel of Fudge’ baked in a Bundt pan. When Ella won the bake-off, Pillsbury ended up with more than 200,000 requests for Bundt pans. Eventually, the pans surpassed the Jello-O molds to become the most sold molds in the country.
National Bundt Day was designated to celebrate 60 years of the popularity of Bundt pans. Pillsbury even licensed the name so they could sell special Bundt pancake mixes.
Unlike the cake it is inspired by, Bundt cakes are named for the shape of the pan and not for the recipe itself. Any range of recipes can be made in a Bundt pan. The only thing to be kept in mind is that the hole in the middle means that a larger portion of the batter is touching the pan. This combined with the larger volume of Bundt pans means that baking time and temperature will need to be adjusted when you bake in a Bundt pan.
National Bundt Day timeline
The first go of Bundt pans is a small run, and they sell very poorly over the years.
This mention of Bundt pans in “The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook” helps increase its popularity.
Her ‘Tunnel of Fudge’ baked in a Bundt pan sends the popularity of the Bundt pan soaring.
Nordic Ware decides to celebrate 60 years of Bundt cakes!
National Bundt Day FAQs
Why is it called a Bundt cake?
The pan is named after a traditional European cake called Gugelhupf. In north Germany, the cake is known as ‘Bundkuchen,’ and that’s where the founders of Nordic Ware got the name for their pan.
Why are Bundt cakes so moist?
Bundt cakes are moist because of the unique shape of the pan which exposes more of the batter to the heat of the pan and the oven.
Are there any deals on National Bundt Day?
Some bakeries like Nothing Bundt Cakes might offer deals on their cakes, but be sure to check with your local outlets to confirm! Either way, it’s a great day to get some Bundt cakes, even if you don’t find a deal.
How To Celebrate National Bundt Day?
Bake a Bundt cake
On the internet, all the recipe sites are celebrating by sharing recipes, so pick one and get baking.
Host a tea party
Bundt cakes are the perfect accompaniments for a pot of tea or even a strong cup of coffee. Invite your friends to a party and ask them to bring their favorite cakes along.
Experiment with your Bundt pan
How about an ice cream cake in your Bundt pan? Jello in your cake mix? This National Bundt Day, have fun with the whimsical shape of your pan and try all the experiments you can think of.
5 Delicious Facts About Bundt Cakes And Pans
There are Bundt pans in the Smithsonian
These are some of the original Bundt pans that were manufactured in the 1950s.
They’re really popular
To date, over 60 million pans have been sold in the U.S.
Bundt cakes are usually not frosted
Instead, they’re topped with ganache, nuts, or dusted with powdered sugar.
Sometimes they have fillings baked in
These are special recipes designed for Bundt pans because Bundt cakes are hard to frost.
There’s a similar stovetop pot
Wonder Pot is a pan with a shape similar to a Bundt used for stovetop baking.
Why We Celebrate National Bundt Day
We love Bundt cakes
And really, who doesn’t? National Bundt Day is a great excuse to bake up a storm and eat all the cake you can stomach.
We don’t use our Bundt pans enough
It’s easy to throw together a quick fudge in a square pan, so our Bundt pans hardly see a lot of action. This day is a great way to get the cobwebs out and bake!
They’re perfect for parties
Bundt pans are so elegant, they jazz up every party even if the recipe is simple. With the holidays around the corner, it's a great idea to get some practice in!
National Bundt Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | November 15 | Friday |
| 2025 | November 15 | Saturday |
| 2026 | November 15 | Sunday |
| 2027 | November 15 | Monday |
| 2028 | November 15 | Wednesday |
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