Monday, May 17, 2010

Collecting, Decorating And Baking With Bundt Cake Pans

The Art Of Collecting Bundt Pans

Some people make an art out of baking delicious Bundt cakes, while others find the art within the pan itself and love collecting these old world treasures.

The Cake With The Hole In The Middle

With an estimated 60 million Bundt pans existing across America, it is easy to find a variety of these German inspired fluted cake pans used to make the "cake with the hole in the middle" popularized in a very funny movie "My Big fat Greek Wedding".




My Big Fat Greek Wedding And The Bundt Cake


If you recall in the hit movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding", the groom's mother brings the bride's mother a Bundt cake and in several hilarious exchanges , the mother of the bride-to -be calls the cake a "bunk" cake and serves the cake with a potted plant in the middle.

The Settlement Cookbook

Bundt cake recipes show up in America in the early 1900's and can be found in The Settlement Cookbook by Lizzie Kander. Originally made as ring shaped coffee cakes, Bundt cakes were first referred to as German bundkuchen, made in ceramic pans and familiar to Germany, Austria and Hungary. The early old world pans were fluted and very heavy made of ceramic or cast iron.

Introducing Nordic Ware Aluminum Bundt Pans

"In 1950, the landmark pan was introduced, after the Minneapolis Chapter of the Hadassah Society asked Dave and Dotty to produce a kuglehof pan, similar to the one the society's president had received from her grandmother in Germany. Dave produced the pan from cast aluminum for the Hadassah Society and a few for the Nordic Ware trademark, which he sold to department stores using the name, bund pan. (The word bund means a gathering-thus a bund cake, with its characteristic fluting, was a cake suitable for a gathering or party.) Nordic Ware created the pan and filed for a trademark to protect its creation, renaming the pan the Bundt pan." http://www.nordicware.com/about/founders.

Bundt Pans Come In A Variety Of Shapes

There has also been many variations to the original ring shaped design including rectangular shapes, hearts, roses, flowers and even Star of David Bundt pans ( Nordic Ware). See
http://www.jewishrecipes.org/kitchenware/bakeware/star-of-david-bundt-pan.html

Vintage Bundt Pans Are Reasonably Priced


You will find Bundt pans made of ceramic, cast iron, Graniteware, glass, tin, aluminum, copper in a variety of colors and sizes .
Prices vary according to materials, age, rarity and condition but for the most part, there are lots of Bundt pans in the very reasonably priced category that you can pick up for a few dollars. Look out for dents, chips, rust. Companies that made Bundt pans are Nordic Ware, Mirro, West Bend. Anchor Hocking, Jeanette Glass, McKee etc.

Handmade Bundt Pan Covers

For some adorable handmade Bundt pan covers, take a look at: http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=bundt+pan+covers&search_type=handmade

Photos Courtesy of :

http://modishvintage.blogspot.com/2010/02/colourful-vintage-kitchen.html
http://www.jazzejunque.com/
http://www.plaidponyvintage.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ndworkin
http://www.mommyskitchen.net/
http://www.weddingcake101.com/

History of Bundt Cakes


http://www.nordicware.com/about/founders

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27813-2005Jan21.html

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=910


http://busycooks.about.com/od/howtobake/a/bundtcake.htm

Recipes

http://bundt-cake.com/

http://www.squidoo.com/bundtcakerecipes
http://www.jewishrecipes.org/kitchenware/bakeware/star-of-david-bundt-pan.html

12 Things You Can Make With A Mini Bundt Pan
http://www.preparedpantry.com/pdf/mini-bundt-cake-guide.pdf

Collecting Bundt Pans
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=bundt+pans&search_type=vintage


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro cafĂ©.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Authors Guild, Inc.

6 comments:

  1. "Bundt, it's a Bundt!" Thanks for the fun and the information.

    Thank you also for being such a good example of giving credit for photos and linking to sites.

    Our Best Man asked what we wanted for a gift, and my immediate response was a bundt pan. He gave us a nifty art deco styled one, but to me it wasn't a bundt. Hubby went and got me an aluminum one like the green one in the third to the last photo. Nice, but still not a bundt. What was a gal to do? Call Mom of course!

    Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes thank you, I have two different kinds, and loved all the links what to do with them, hugs and have a great day, Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those pans really are little works of art! I never noticed that before. It's the ultimate in kitchen decor. Something pretty that can make something yummy!
    Happy Monday!
    Carol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great article and links! Thanks for the fun!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dianne, I love visiting your Blog and I would love to add yours to my Blog Roll, your Posts are always such fun! In fact I thought I had you on my Favorites! Maybe when I had hubby give my Blog it's "New" look I lost some things. Any way thanks for the prompt! Hugs, Diane with one "N"

    ReplyDelete
  6. okay....how stinkin cute is your blog???? so wonderful!!!!!!!!! when i bake with my bundt pan, all i can think about is MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING when the mom says "it's a bundt" and the other mother doesn't get it...hahahaha.
    thanks for such a fun post.
    sue

    ReplyDelete

ShareThis