Bundt Pans: Everything About Them

[Kouign Aman]

Arabesque would look particularly nice with Rachel Perlow's rainbow jello mold.

[Ling]

I have the Nordicware Rose pan, but it's not my favourite. I still need to get that Cathedral pan! It's my favourite.

[K8memphis]

I love the mini rose pan--well, let's see... they have poppa bear size, momma bear size and now baby bear size. Try that again, I love the momma bear size mini rose pan. I actually have three of them because I got one for each kid too and have somehow needed to 'borrow' them back, anyhow.

Yes, getting them out of the pan seems to be as dependant on the fomula you are using as much as it is the seasoning, ie greasing of the pan. Because I bake different fruit breads & muffins in them. Some come out perfect like plucking ripe fruit, viola. And some are immediatley sliced horizontal for sandwiches.

I tell yah, there's no better/easier clean up than filling with hot water & putting back in the oven.

[Amy Eber]

This bunny and Easter egg bundt pan from Williams-Sonoma is my new favorite.

http://ww2.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm...1%7Crshop%2Fhme

The catalog shows a few different decorating versions. I made one last night covering it with white icing piped through a star tip like the catalog photograph. It turned out great.

[chocartist]

I'm about to do something that I've never done in my life. I'm going to endorse Nordicware's box mix cakes. There, I've done it and I'm glad.

These are not your everyday box mix varieties. Nordicware supplies the dry ingredients and you add lots of butter and eggs. I haven't tried them all, but I particularly love the cinnamon and chocolate ones. Don't hate me until you try them.

[Veena]

Hello -

I am considering buying a Bundt cake pan. I can buy only one because I am already maxed out on storage space (but am coming across more and more irresistable cake recipes that specify Bundt pans). Price is not a major consideration - since I can have only one, I want to make sure it is a good performer. Am not looking for too fancy a design (in fact, I find the intricate designs somewhat frightening).

What size and material would the frequent Bundt bakers recommend? Also, besides prettiness factor, what is the advantage of a Bundt pan over the 9 x 3 round cake pans? Apologies if all this has been discussed already - if so, please point me to the thread.

Regards,

Veena

[srhcb]

Call me sentimental, but I prefer the orifginal NordicWare Bundt Pan, which celebrates its 60th Anniversay this year.

SB (the "S" stands for sentimental)

[K8memphis]

Softy, er I mean Sentimental Steve is right--that's a good choice bu-ut, what's so scary about this one??

[RuthWells]

As a certified Bundt pan addict, I could never limit myself to just one. That being said, the rose pan is a very classic, lovely shape while still being a bit more modern than the original Bundt. I love it.

[CaliPoutine]

I'd go with the original shape and I'd make it nordicware. Also, I'd make sure I got the platnium series( its heavier).

[srhcb]

FYI: The Minnesota Hisorical Society is currently developing an exhibit to coincide with the State's 150th Anniversary in 2008 of 150 special persons, places, items or ideas that originated in Minnesota.

The Bundt Pan has been nominated in the Technology and Industry category.

SB (BTW: I nominated it)

[Ling]

I had a number of bundt pans, but they are mostly the plain ones. If you are only buying one bundt pan, perhaps one with a removable bottom would be the most useful. That way, you're guaranteed a clean release every time.

I had the Nordicware Rose pan, but it's not my favourite pan to use. You have to make sure you grease those ridges very thoroughly. It's not my favourite shape, but I bought it on sale. My favourite is the Cathedral pan (which I don't have yet) and the Sandcastle one someone posted upthread is really cute!

I also love this one: Violet bundt and the floral mini pans.

[shaloop]

If you are only buying one bundt pan, perhaps one with a removable bottom would be the most useful. That way, you're guaranteed a clean release every time.

I've never seen a bundt pan with a removeable bottom. Do you mean a tube pan or angelfood cake pan? When I think of bundt I also think of the nordicware style pan such as linked to above. I think nonstick and heavy are good features in a bundt pan. But not too dark in color. Bundt pans are good for thick/heavy batters like pound cakes and the hole in the middle acts like a heating core that allows the inside to cook evenly and all in one pan. It would be hard to bake a cake with a pound each of flour/sugar/butter and eggs in one flat round pan and have the middle get done before the edges burned.

[srhcb]

It would be hard to bake a cake with a pound each of flour/sugar/butter and eggs in one flat round pan and have the middle get done before the edges burned.

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FYI: According to King Arthur Flour, that amounts to:

4 sticks of butter

2 cups of sugar

9 large eggs

4 cups of flour

SB ("incredibly rich" is an understatement)

[Ling]

If you are only buying one bundt pan, perhaps one with a removable bottom would be the most useful. That way, you're guaranteed a clean release every time.

I've never seen a bundt pan with a removeable bottom. Do you mean a tube pan or angelfood cake pan?

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You're right, my mistake. I was thinking of my angelfood cake pan.

[K8memphis]

I also love this one: Violet bundt...

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Ling, I had never seen that one before--it's beautiful. Violets are my favorites, thanks.

[nicolekaplan]

nordicware rules

the creator of the company and bundt pan passed away about a year ago and there was alot written on the subject, including recipes for the original tunnel of fudge cake. (i think there was a great article in the ny times)

[ludja]

Kaiser bakeware from Germany is also very good. Here's a link to two pages of their bundtpans:

click

[StephMac]

If you're only going to get one, the original, classic bundt pan or a plain tube pan is probably your best bet. As they say, it never goes out of style...

My personal favorite is the cathedral pan, which I just got last year and makes a spectacular gingerbread : http://www.nordicware.com/b2c/product_deta...t=4&prod_cat=18

And I like the fleur-de-lis pan, too- it's not overly fancy, but very elegant: http://www.nordicware.com/b2c/product_deta...t=4&prod_cat=18

[Veena]

Thanks for all the responses! I had almost decided to buy Nordicware's 60th-anniversay edition, but now the Fleur-de-lis also beckons.

I noticed that Kaiser offers a commercial-weight steel pan (La Forme). How does this compare to the cast aluminum of Nordicware? Isn't aluminum better than steel for baking?

Veena

[heleen1]

I have the Fleur the lis pan, my mom has a Kaiser la Forme pan. We love them both. I have a lot of Kaiser springform pans, and to me, they don't get any better (for the home baker). They are a lot more durable than other brands I have used.

[cajungirl]

Thanks for all the responses!  I had almost decided to buy Nordicware's 60th-anniversay edition, but now the Fleur-de-lis also beckons. 

I noticed that Kaiser offers a commercial-weight steel pan (La Forme).  How does this compare to the cast aluminum of Nordicware?  Isn't aluminum better than steel for baking?

Veena

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You'll love the Fleur de lis. I use it all the time and get so many compliments on the presentation.

[lperry]

I was in Homegoods today and they just got in a shipment of the different shaped bundt pans. I saw the Bavarian, the fleur de lis, the rose, and a couple of others. They were marked between $12 and $16 each. I am very tempted to buy one (or two, or three), however, all my recipes for bundt-style cakes are for the traditional twelve cup molds. All the pretty Nordicware molds are ten cup. I hate to put the extra batter in a mini loaf pan when the whole idea is to have a gorgeous molded cake. It's also about four pieces of cake that are lost.

I'm fairly wary of fiddling with an old family recipe because, as we all know, certain cakes *must* be made every year or the universe will cease to exist. I'm sure there will be plenty of family flak coming my way just for using a different shape. If, in addition to that, the cake tastes "wrong," well, it's all over.

So there you have it. The only thing standing between me and a couple of shiny, new pans is a good idea about what to do with two cups of cake batter. Any ideas?

-L

[kitchenmage]

So there you have it.  The only thing standing between me and a couple of shiny, new pans is a good idea about what to do with two cups of cake batter.  Any ideas?   

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I'd make a few small cupcake-like servings for the kids (or the cook) and if that doesn't work out, I'd send the pretty new pan to the first person who gave you a suggestion on eGullet.

[MissAmy]

I don't see why it's a problem to bake off the extra in a mini-loaf pan as cook's treat/kid's snack.