There’s really only one way for me to start this post.
And that is with a quote from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
In this scene, two sets of prospective in-laws meet for the first time. Harriet and Rodney Miller, who are about as prim, proper, and otherwise boring as can possibly be, encounter the very loud, very Greek parents of their future daughter-in-law, Nia. At this particular point in the movie, Harriet offers up a housewarming gift that is very commonplace in her world and unsuccessfully attempts to define it for Maria Portokalos, who clearly has never been gifted with such a goofy-looking cake before.
Maria: “Thank you. What is it?”
Harriet: “It’s a Bundt.”
Maria: “A Bundt?”
Harriet: “Bundt.”
Maria (clearly struggling to pronounce Bundt): “Bun-Bo-Bunk-Bonk…”
Harriet: “Bundt.”
Maria: “Bo-uh-nd-t.”
Harriet: “Bundt! Bundttt!”
(Long awkward pause.)
Maria: “…It’s a cake! Thank you, thank you, very, very much.”
(Maria walks away.)
Maria (under her breath to a family member): “There’s a hole in this cake.”
At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Okay, Katie. Where the heck are you going with this?” Or, you’re silently laughing under your breath and have already moved on to quoting the next best line of this movie: “What do you mean, you don’t eat no meat? That’s okay, I make lamb!” Or, you’re thinking something else entirely, and wondering if this whole post is going to be centered around Greek people and strange family encounters[1]. Rest assured, it’s not about any of those things. Rather, this blog post is dedicated to cakes with holes in them and the brilliant bakeware that makes them possible.
Ladies and gentleman, I’m pleased to introduce you to Nordic Ware.
A leading manufacturer of high quality and innovative kitchenware products, Nordic Ware is a Minnesota-made, family-owned company based out of St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. Husband and wife duo Dotty and Dave Dalquist founded Nordic Ware in 1946 with big dreams and a small budget. With Dave newly back from WWII, the couple only had $500 in their pockets, an adventurous spirit, and a desire to create something of their own. With extensive planning and determination, soon they launched a humble kitchenware company from the basement of their home in Minneapolis. Nordic Ware’s handful of original products all reflected Dotty and Dave’s Scandinavian heritage and featured ethnic cookware including the Rosette iron, Krumkake iron, Platte Panne pan, and the Ebelskiver pan[2].
However, Nordic Ware’s claim-to-fame is the creation of the Bundt pan, which the couple trademarked only a couple years after going into business together. The Dalquists originally created the first pan of this nature for a Minneapolis-based Hadassah Society (a group for Jewish women) that wanted to recreate traditional kugelhopf—a dense, ring-shaped cake. Crafted from cast aluminum, Dave originally called this invention a “bund pan” after the German word for “bond” or “alliance.” Later he added a “t” into the mix, trademarked the name, and the Bundt pan was officially born.
Despite a slow start after its initial introduction into the 1950’s baking market, the Bundt pan eventually rose to fame when a Bundt cake placed second in the 17th annual Pillsbury Bakeoff. With this jump in notoriety, suddenly everyone had to get their hands on a Bundt pan in a desperate attempt to recreate the winning chocolatey confection—playfully named the Tunnel of Fudge Cake—that had so raptly caught national attention. Soon, the Dalquists found themselves inundated with orders and started making 30,000 Bundt pans every single day.
Now, Bundt pans are found in over 70 million households worldwide. Over the years, the Bundt cake has established its identity as a quintessential American dessert, blossoming into a family favorite that marks important life moments and celebrates beloved traditions.
Seventy years after Dotty and Dave’s initial endeavors, Nordic Ware still proudly manufactures the vast majority of its products in Minneapolis. Now the Krumkake iron and Ebelskiver pan have been joined by other, more widely popular kitchenware items including baking sheets, pizza pans, Dutch ovens, and all sorts of seasonally and topically themed goodies. The company has grown from its original two founders to over 350 employees, and its products continue to be distributed across the globe.
I first came across Nordic Ware when I was an RA at Notre Dame and wanted to bake cookies for my section. Not having the proper supplies, I did as any good college senior—or anyone, for that matter—would do, I promptly made my way to Target to pick out a solid, durable baking sheet that looked like it could effectively get the job done. Years later, in the first weeks after Cam and I moved to Minnesota, we found ourselves repeatedly driving past a water tower with a familiar-looking logo, and I would continually think: “Don’t we own something from this company?”
As it turns out, we did indeed own something from Nordic Ware, and that item was my old baking sheet. A quick Google search and one very deep rabbit hole later, I had learned all about the company and was instantly hooked: Here was this locally-owned, globally-recognized kitchenware manufacturer that was practically located in our backyard, simply brimming with possibility. I had to learn more, I had to own something else with that prominent little Viking logo, and I had no doubts what that first something would be: A Bundt pan.
Bundt cakes are celebrated for their fluted or grooved sides, but their most defining feature is the central tube or “chimney” that leaves a cylindrical hole through the center of the cake[3]. This design enables more of the cake mixture to touch the surface of the pan than it would in a simple round vessel, ultimately providing faster and more even heat distribution throughout the baking process. While Bundt cakes are not generally associated with any single recipe or cake type, they are most commonly used for denser, moister cakes[4]. Common varieties include angel food cake, cinnamon cake, and—my favorite—coffee cake.
While it’s not necessarily intentional, for whatever reason I’ve noticed many Bundt cakes share the same rich “raw sienna” hues. Indeed, their color gives off a yellow-brown tint that is reminiscent of organic earth pigments, of something reduced to its rawest, most pure, or natural form. Whether purposeful or not, I contend this color lends Bundt cakes an added layer of warm attraction and sugary seductiveness, making it nearly impossible to forgo grabbing a fork and taking a delightfully decadent bite. I often use my Bundt pan to whip up classic pumpkin bread with an unexpected visual twist, and the cake’s rich coloring and hauntingly enticing aroma never fails to invigorate my senses and make me feel as if Autumn has truly arrived.
Whether you’re charmed by the locally grown, Nordic-inspired origin story or tempted by the warm, savory flavors of Fall, I encourage you to check out Nordic Ware for your next baking adventures so you can experiment with something new and see what all the fuss is about. For while there is most certainly a “hole” in these Bundt cakes, I can guarantee what they lack in mass they most certainly make up in style.
Oh, and did I mention?
They’re pretty stinking tasty, too!
[1] Or, maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Look, Katie: I’ve already seen the title photo for this post. I know it’s not about either of those topics.” Well good for you, little miss smarty pants. Good for you.
[2] To provide a some extra context, rosettes are thin, cookie-like deep-fried Scandinavian pastries that are traditionally made around the Christmas season. Krumkakes are traditional Norwegian treats consisting of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream that comprise a thin, almost crepe-like batter. Platte Panne are Swedish silverdollar pancakes, and Ebelskivers are spherical Danish treats that closely mimic a popover. Yum!
[3] Hence, and I quote: “There’s a hole in this cake.” Makes sense now, doesn’t it, Maria?
[4] That’s right, I said it: Moist.
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