Observed annually on the 15^th of November, National Bundt (Pan) Day is a holiday that not only celebrates bundt cakes but also the pans in which these delicious cakes are baked. Bundt cakes come in a variety of flavors and are made with different ingredients.

The one thing that unites these thousands of recipes is the doughnut shape of the cakes, created by the bundt pans they are baked in. These cakes became popular during the 1950s and 1960s in North America, but the origins of these cakes go back to Europe and owe their existence to a European cake known as Gugelhupf.

The History of National Bundt (Pan) Day

In St. Louis Park, Minnesota, H. David Dalquist and his brother Mark co-founded the cookware company Nordic Ware in the late 1940s. They were approached by Fannie Shanfield and Rose Joshua, who were members of the Minneapolis Jewish-American Hadassah Society.

They asked the company if they could produce a modern version of the cast iron pan used to make Gugelhupf. Nordic Ware created a cast aluminum version and added a small “t” to the word “bund” to trademark it.

At first, this pan didn’t sell very well, and Nordic Ware considered discontinuing it. Then, in 1963, the New Good Housekeeping Cookbook mentioned it. Although that gave the pans a bit of a sales boost, bundt pans wouldn’t become popular until 1966. This is when Ella Helfrich took second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off with her recipe Tunnel of Fudge.

She won $5,000, but it was the pan that became the real winner. After this competition, 200,000 requests for bundt pans rolled in. National Bundt (Pan) Day was created to mark the 60^th anniversary of the creation of this pan and is celebrated on November 15—the day the pan was invented. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Observing National Bundt (Pan) Day

Break out your favorite bundt pan and make some bundt cakes for this holiday. There are thousands of recipes to choose from, so pick one that suits your tastes and bake it for the entire family to enjoy.