With the holidays fast approaching I’ve started making my list of what I’ll bake for family dinner. Although that dinner may look different this year, I’ll still be roasting a turkey and baking lots of sweets for everyone. Something that always makes the list is rum cake (of course!) but loaves which I bake in bundt pans, rather than in loaf pans.
My bundt loaf staples are gingerbread with molasses, cinnamon, and ginger, topped with whipped cream or lemon curd; Pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce or, cream cheese frosting; and finally, banana bread which we simply butter and warm. Baking them in a bundt pan is a good size for my large family so everyone gets a slice, and they look beautiful naked on a plate. There is something about that shape!
Bundt pans are very traditional here, but why? Do you know where they came from? The bundt pan has its origins in Austria and Germany. Depending on the region, the pan is called Gugelhupf, Gugelhopf, Kugelhopf, or Bundkuchen. These names don’t just reference the shape of the pan, but also the recipe that was baked in it. Gugelhupf is very traditional in the countries of France (mainly the border area with Germany), Germany, and Austria, but you will find delicious variations all over Europe. The first recipes mentioned a yeast-based dough with raisins, almonds, and even kirsch. Does that sound like the holidays or what?!
Lunenburg’s history is deeply rooted in European culture, so it only makes sense that bundt pans became a tradition here too.
I love using bundt pans because they’re versatile and almost any cake can be baked in them. The cake has so much of its own appeal that Bundt cakes often don’t require icing or decoration of any sort. Simply delicious when served as coffee cakes for afternoon tea.
Photo credit - Ironworks Distillery
Lunenburg Rum Cakes – Bundt Design
We use the bundt pan here at Lunenburg Rum Cakes because of its rich history. We have small and large style silicone moulds that are the traditional Gugelhopf design, imported from a company in Italy.
Whether you’re having rum cake for afternoon tea or serving it as a plated dessert with some caramel sauce, it is an all-occasion cake that is sure to please!
Today, Sunday, November 15th is National Bundt day! We wanted to share some history with you to celebrate the occasion. How will you celebrate? Will you bake a bundt cake today? If you do, let us know what you baked. If not, leave us a comment on what your favorite bundt creation is, we’d love to hear about it!
Sarah Batten
Chief Cake Baker
Lunenburg Rum Cakes Ltd.