April 20, 2005

• "What is it?" "It's a bundt" "A bunk?" "BUNDT" "Booouuunk" "Bundt! Bundt!" " ... " "Oh! It's a cake!" My favorite, favorite, favorite bundt is lemon (with lemon pudding in the middle sometimes). I emailed my mom for the recipe.
• Kimberly - I had that exchange in my head the whole time I typed up this post. ;)
• your bundt pan WANTS THIS CAKE. the mysterious... the famous... the prize-winning... the vaguely kinky-sounding... TUNNEL OF FUDGE CAKE! woo!
• BTW, the bundt pan inventor died in January 2005. from a press clipping... Very few pans have empowered home cooks as much as the Bundt. From the introduction of the first Bundt, anyone could transform basic batter into a dessert with graceful arches and clean sloping lines that looked as if it had been procured from a sumptuous classical French banquet. This month, the inventor of the pan died at age 86. No, his name was not Mr. Bundt, it was Henry David Dalquist. In 1946, he and his wife, Dotty, founded NordicWare, a company that specialized in Scandinavian bakeware, in their Minnesota basement. In 1950, a request from the local chapter of Hadassah, the national women's Zionist organization, set the stage for the Bundt's big break, says NordicWare spokeswoman Claudia Ross. The chapter president wanted a metal cake pan that was similar in form and function to the ceramic kugelhopf pan her German grandmother used. Dalquist, a metallurgical engineer, fashioned a fluted pan with a center tube in cast aluminum. Dalquist coined the name from the German word bund, for gathering, and added a "T." Sales were good, but in 1966 they went through the roof, says Ross. Well, actually they went through a tunnel -- a Tunnel of Fudge. Ella Rita Helfrich of Texas took second place in the 17th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest for the whimsically named cake. She won $5,000, and NordicWare became the source of the must-have pan of housewives across the nation. Pillsbury received more than 200,000 letters from people wanting to know where they could get a Bundt pan, according to General Mills spokeswoman Marlene Johnson. "I think Tunnel of Fudge was a wonderful convergence of chocolate, shape and appearance," says Johnson. "Plus you had the added mystery of this soft filling forming inside a baked cake."
• vaguely kinky??
• I love budnt, but there's quite nothing like a tunnel of fudge.
• Definitely tunnel-of-fudge. The NY Times recently had an article on the chemistry of baking, which included this great recipe and this salivation-inducing photograph. Having since made it, I can highly recommend it (though my fudge-tunnel was a bit thicker than what they show in the photo).
• This is a favorite in my family. One of the sweeter sherries works best. I've also made it with tokay. Quick Easy Wine Cake 1 pkg. yellow cake mix 1 4 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix 4 eggs 3/4 cup oil 3/4 cup sherry 1 tsp. nutmeg Combine all ingredients. Mix with electric mixer about 5 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into a greased angle food or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes, or till done. Cool in pan about 5 minutes before turning out on rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• "Borrowed" from America's test kitchen. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake Natural (or regular) cocoa gives the cake a fuller, more assertive chocolate flavor than does Dutch-processed cocoa. In addition, Dutch-processed cocoa will result in a compromised rise. The cake can be served with just a dusting of confectioners' sugar but is easily made more impressive with Tangy Whipped Cream and Lightly Sweetened Raspberries (recipes follow). The cake can be made a day in advance; wrap the cooled cake in plastic and store it at room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving. Serves 12 to 14 Cake Release 1 tablespoon butter , melted 1 tablespoon cocoa Cake 3/4 cup cocoa, natural (2 1/4 ounces) 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional) 3/4 cup water (boiling) 1 cup sour cream , room temperature 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces) 1 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature 2 cups light brown sugar (14 ounces) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 5 large eggs , room temperature confectioners' sugar for dusting 1. FOR THE PAN: Stir together butter and cocoa in small bowl until paste forms; using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of standard 12-cup Bundt pan. (If mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds, or until warm and softened.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. FOR THE CAKE: Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder (if using) in medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine. 3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down bowl with rubber spatula after first 2 additions. Reduce to medium-low speed (batter may appear separated); add about one third of flour mixture and half of chocolate/sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl and repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining chocolate mixture; add remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium-low until batter is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, being careful not to pour batter on sides of pan. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar, transfer to serving platter, and cut into wedges; serve with Tangy Whipped Cream and raspberries, if desired.
• loki that's interesting about dutch-processed cocoa, i always thought that was the better-quality cocoa. that's what i always use to make brownies. hmm. now must reconsider my cocoa usage.
• America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated is the bomb.
• I must say that that is one damn fine cake pan. Damn fine.
• Are these "Tunnel of Fudge" cakes appropriate for my pan? I mean, there's a lot of detail going on, how will that affect the structural integrity of a cake whose center is molten?
• just don't forget the nuts. they are very necessary. for some reason i don't understand.
• but in case you'd like something else, i'd nominate Kentucky Butter Cake. yummmmm.
• Holy cow - that Kentucky Butter Cake sounds awesome!
• Yes, in my youth I could handle the T of F cake. Too rich now. If I can find my dozen egg pound cake, I'll post it. Wine cake sounds simple and good. Can you make it in a regular pan? Kentucky Butter Cake is just EVIL commanding me to bake it.
• yes it is indeed RICH and gooooey goooood.
• Although it's always sad to note the passing of people who had an impact on the American consciousness, it looks like the "bundt pan" naming story is fanciful. The story has it that "55 years ago" Dalquist made the pan on request and came up with the name on the fly. However, there are much earlier citations for bundt recipes that prove Dalquist did not coin the name (nor did he invent the pan, which is also being claimed elsewhere). The post linked below reprints information gathered by a colleague from the Settlement Cook Book. It shows the term and the cake were familiar at least as early as 1912. Note specifically the description of the pan: "Bundt form (a heavy round fluted pan with tube in center)." http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0106E&L=ads-l&P=R126 The 1903 edition of the same cookbook also included "bundt kuchen," which means something like "band cake," though a band cake is a different item. http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0107D&L=ads-l&P=R1946 The only thing Mr. Dalquist gets credit for, I'm afraid, is trademarking a term that had already existed for at least 63 years. The trademark info can be seen here.
• wow... that damn dalquist. i never did like him.
• oh and mo i like your blog. a lot!
• Thanks, SideDish! Compliments are always welcome (though new word submissions are welcomed more). Now off to correct somebody's misunderstanding of the origin of the term "hot dog"...
• The wine cake is great. I originally got it from a cookbook put out by the California Wine Advisory Board when I worked in a winery in the 1960s - the recipes were contributed by the families of the winery owners. If this were a different sort of thread, I'd present you with the Buzzard's Delight cocktail that my boss contributed - it was what he'd bring around in the morning on Saddle Club weekend rides to get everyone out of bed and on their horses. The cake is pound cake-like, not too sweet, with a flavor which will always remind me of holidays. I don't see why it couldn't be baked in a large loaf (9x13?) pan, though you'd probably have to adjust the cooking time. A toothpick is your friend. Never having strayed from the original, it just occurred to me that some sort of cinnimony topping might also be good on a more spread out version. And, maybe some slivered almonds. Thanks for the suggestion.
• May I interrupt for a kindhearted snarkety snark? Please, people, put a short description in your CG title so we can distinguish them on the side bar. Right now I've got two identical ones side by side, with nothing to distinguish them. Thank you. *tips hat* As you were.
• Sorry 'bout that. I noticed when it was too late that the "Bundt" part wouldn't be in the sidebar. Lesson learned for next time. I just made SideDish's Tunnel of Fudge. Will let you know how it is received tomorrow after serving at a department retirement luncheon. I'm planning to make the Kentucky Butter Cake this weekend, and the Wine Cake is next on the list after that (so intriguing!). Thanks for all the great recipes... and keep 'em coming!
• Off topic: One request for the Buzzard's Delight cocktail recipe. On Topic: Must get a bundt pan because anything named Tunnel of Fudge will fix much that ails me.
• Ok, here you go. A drink created by by Bill Perelli-Minetti: Buzzards Delight, aka Sierra Sunrise 2 parts orange juice 1 part dry vermouth 1 part brandy 1 squeeze lemon Fill a 10 oz. glass with ice. Add all ingredients. Mix and serve. The winery I worked for made vermouth and brandy, and everyone in this part of California has orange and lemon trees in their backyards. Convenient and really good.
• Food Down Under , unlike the name suggests, is actually an international recipe browse/search engine. A search for Bundt produces 201 results --- including the Mexican 7up Bundt Cake and the Alcoholic Irish Cream Cake .
• This thread is awesome. Brings back memories of eating most of the bundt cake a college buddy's mom had baked after we'd come home, very late, from a night that had involved, well, a different kind of baking. With the kind of munchies we had, finding that cake was like finding buried treasure. We left, like, a few crumbs. Nice Southern mom that she was, in the morning she told us how good it made her feel to have us boys enjoy her baking so much.
• One of my favorite things to do with a bundt pan: Mocha Rum Cake cocoa powder for dusting 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 pound fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/3 cup dark rum 2 cups strong brewed coffee 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs, beaten lightly 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla confectioners' sugar for dusting lightly sweetened whipped cream Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 4 1/2-inch-deep (12-cup) Kugelhupf or bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove chocolate from heat and stir in rum, coffee, and granulated sugar. With an electric mixer beat in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down side, and beat in eggs and vanilla until batter is combined well. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan on a rack and turn it out onto rack. Cake may be made 3 days in advance and kept wrapped well and chilled. Dust cake with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream. My experience with this cake is that it continues to get moister and moister as it sits under a cake dome. Generally, by the time the family finishes it, it's more like mocha rum fudge than a cake.
• Bailey's Irish Cream Cake. I'll vouch for this one! If it's a bit greasy for you, swap out half the oil for an equal amount of buttermilk. And not to derail the thread, but.... I noticed a couple of references to Cook's Illustrated upthread a bit. Are any of you monkeys subscribers? They sent me a freebie issue, along with an offer of a pretty good deal if I make a long-term committment. The sample they sent had no ads and was entirely illustrated with drawings (no photos.) Is every issue like that? Are they all that informative?
• Duh. Uhmyang's Alcoholic Irish Cream Cake appears to be exactly the same recipe I just posted, albeit from a different source. Oh well. It's a good cake anyway!