Is a Fluted-Tube Pan the Same as a Bundt Pan?

The first Bundt pans were manufactured and trademarked by the Minneapolis firm Nordic Ware beginning in the 1950s. These pans were indeed fluted-tube pans. Now, however, the generic term "Bundt" refers to all styles of deep-cake pans that have a tubular center.

History

Bundt pans were modeled after northern European "kugelhopf" pans. These pans produced the rich, dense cakes favored by immigrants from northern European countries. Their popularity spread, and by the 1960s, Bundt pans were the highest-selling cake pan in the United States.

Function

The hollow tube in the center of the Bundt pan increases the amount of heat reaching the batter, so that a large cake can cook evenly. In a conventional cake pan, the outsides of a cake as large and dense as a Bundt cake, would burn before the middle cooked.

Types

Nordic Ware's original pan had fluted sides which produced an elegant look without needing frosting. Variations now range from simple, straight-sided versions to pans that produce elaborate designs.

References

• Epicurious: Bundt Pan
• The Nibble: Bundt Cakes-Bundt Pan History