I’m a cake person. I don’t discriminate against cakes based on their shape, flavor, store bought or homemade, the number of layers, frosting or no frosting. I am truly an inclusive, free-loving cake person.

When I was checking out the website Nationaldaycalendar.com searching for national days that I could relate to, Bundt cakes called out to me. I found the following information worth sharing:

“National Bundt Day, also known as National Bundt Cake Day, is observed every year on November 15th.” “….A bundt cake can be any cake baked in a Bundt pan, forming it into a distinctive ring shape. The mold of the Bundt pan was initially inspired by the traditional European fruit cake known as Gugelhupf. It was in the 1950s and 1960s that the cookware company Nordic Ware popularized the style for the mold design and trademarked the name Bundt. Nordic Ware started producing Bundt pans made from cast aluminum. Similar pans are sold as “fluted tube pans” or other similar names.”

Hey, we lived right by the Nordic Ware factory store when we lived in Minnesota! I wish I knew about this national day back then because I think giving someone a Bundt cake pan is a fun, thoughtful pinch. Especially because nowadays the pan is used for more than just cakes; there are many types of great recipes that require Bundt pans.

Nationaldaycalendar.com goes on to report, “In the beginning, the Bundt pan did not sell well, and Nordic Ware considered discontinuing the product. Then in the 1963 New Good Housekeeping Cookbook, the Bundt pan was mentioned, and sales increased. In 1966, sales increased dramatically when a Bundt cake called the “Tunnel of Fudge,” baked by Ella Helfrich, took second place at the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off and winning a $5,000.00 prize. The publicity from the Bake-Off resulted in more than 200,000 Bundt pan requests.”

Nordic Ware registered November 15th as National Bundt Day and has sold more than 60 million Bundt pans across North America. The company decided to make a national day out of it because they were celebrating their 60th anniversary of the Bundt pan. Thank you Nordic Ware!

This book is really cool. When I was deciding to write about National Bundt Day, I knew I would use this cookbook because my favorite Bundt recipe is in here. As I was flipping thru the pages, I realized how many great recipes I have made from this book. I made the Fresh Orange Cake on pg 79 (bottom left cover), which is also a Bundt cake, for a baby or wedding shower years ago and it was so good.

Currently we have a lot of leftover cake from our recent Confirmation celebration but I still wanted to celebrate National Bundt Day so I made my favorite Bundt cake recipe. My plan is to bring the cake to the office tomorrow so that I can pinch some of these Broncos interns who work hard and deserve a little Bundt in their lives. Another thoughtful idea would be to buy a new Bundt pan, bake a favorite recipe in it, print up a copy of the recipe and bring everything to someone who would appreciate being thought of. Or we can just bake a Bundt cake, cut slices and pass out the slices on festive paper plates or in cute containers and include fun napkins and plastic forks. This option could pinch many people instead of just one recipient.

Another idea, if it’s not possible to bake a Bundt cake or stop somewhere to buy one on November 15th, is that we can share a recipe with someone we’re thinking of. Here’s my favorite. I have made this cake so many times that the book automatically opens right to the page of recipe.

I love when we only have to use one bowl when making something sweet.

Bundt cakes are distinctive looking cakes. I like the idea of celebrating the unique shape because it’s a feature that makes the cake special. Since I’m different, celebrating differences is right up my alley! I’m so glad that Nordic Ware did not give up producing the Bundt pan. Think about what we would be missing out on!