The Bundt pan is a dougnut shaped baking vessel designed and trademarked by Nordic Ware in the 1950s and 1960s. Inspired by the European cake Gugelhupf, the circular cake pan would become the most popular selling pan in the US. Since the original fluted Nordic Ware bundt pan design, a large range of different shapes and mini bundt pans exist.

The Bundt Pan

The Bundt pan is a doughnut shaped cooking vessel with ridged sides for baking bundt cakes. The circular shape results in more surface area exposed to heat, as well as faster and more even baking. The grooved sides give aestetic visual texture to the finished cake (the original ridges in the nordic ware design denoted cutting lines to make cutting equal slices a cinch)

Nordic Ware Bundt Design

In the United States, the modern Bundt Pan design comes from H. David Dalquist in the 1950’s and marketed by Nordic Ware using the name “Bundt”. The European brioche-like cake callled the Gugelhupf, also known as Bundkuchen, inspired the nordicware bundt pan design. Dalquist took the word Bund, added a ‘t’, and trademarked the nordic ware bundt cake baking vessel.

Interestingly, the the introduction of the Nordicware Bundt pan initially flopped until a Bundt cake called the “Tunnel of Fudge” won second place in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake off. This surge in attention would quickly lead to the circular baking pan being the most sold pan in the United States

Toady the bundt pans come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The mini bundt pan is especially popular. The small bundt pan molds with their ridged sides produce beautiful mini bundt cakes. These small bundt pans are widely available. Nordic Ware bundt pans, as well as a large variety of others, are available at walmart bundt pans.

Mini Bundt Pan

Nordic Ware Mini Bundt Pan