Dear Have A Nosh Friends,
Do you have a favorite Bundkuchen? How about Kugelhopf? Or Gugelhopf? If you’re like mostAmericans, you’ve never even heard of them. But Europeans have. So, what exactly are these strange-sounding foods? While they go by many names or spellings, depending on the region, they are essentially the same thing. Kugelhopf is a yeast-raised cake baked in a distinctive ring-shaped pan. It is often flavored with either raisins, almonds, cherry brandy, poppy seeds or chocolate.
Let’s travel back in time. In early-to-mid 20thcentury America, it was unlikely that one would see Kugelhopf served in coffee shops or at family gatherings. It was a treat to be enjoyed by the fortunate few who possessed the specially designed ceramic mold that gave the cake its distinctive shape. But in Central Europe, this delightfulbrioche-like cake had been enjoyed for many years inEuropean coffee houses and private homes, by Jews and non-Jews alike.
Pictured is a Classic Viennese Ceramic Gugelhopf Mold
In the 1940’s, a young engineer and metallurgy expert, H. David Dalquist Sr., returned to Minneapolis from his World War II naval duties and, with his brother, entered the plastics business. In 1948, Dalquist and his wife, Dorothy, purchased Northland Aluminum Products and began manufacturing bakeware under the name “Nordic Ware.” The company cast aluminum into industrial products andbranched out into consumer products that they sold by mail order through advertisements in home magazines.
At the same point in time that H. David Dalquist was managing his growing company, the members of the Minnesota Hadassah were gathering together to learn how to prepare a “light and fluffy” sponge cake. Fellow member Rose Joshua – an immigrant woman in her early 30’s and President of the Minneapolis Hadassah chapter -decided that she wanted to bake the heavier cakes that she remembered from her native Germany. “Germans are used to heavy cakes,” she announced. Fellow member Fannie Schanfield, a lifetime Minneapolis resident who joined Hadassah in 1935, said that cooking and baking were a big part her life, and of the lives of her peers.
One day in 1950, Dalquist was approached by a trio of “very nice ladies” from the Hadassah chapter of Minneapolis: Rose Joshua, Fannie Shanfield and Mary Abrahamson. Rose Joshua provided him with a ceramic baking mold that she had inherited from her European grandmother. The women explained that the mold was used to make Bundkuchens, “party or gathering cakes”. They asked if he could possibly make them such a thing out of metal, a more modern material.
He said he could, and he did.
It was the first time H. David Dalquist ever been approached to make a pan. He made them their desired cake pan in cast aluminum, which is lighter and transmits heat more evenly than other materials. He also stylized the center tube so it was sleeker and more cone-shaped. The women of Hadassah were “pleased with the eight-lobed fluted mold”,and so was Dalquist. He also made some to sell in department stores, and called this early model the Bund Pan.
The Gugelhupf Bundt cake tin model by Nordic Ware called “Kugelhopf Bundt” is made out of heavy cast aluminum. Notice in the photo that this one’s rays turn in the opposite direction of a classic Viennese shape.
The women from Hadassah referred to the pans as “bund pans” because the word “bund” is German for an alliance, organization or group of people. The name of the pan changed from Bund to Bundt. There are different explanations for the transition. Some sources simply state that Mr. Dalquist added a “t” in order to trademark the name. Others speculate that Dalquist named his new pan “Bundt”, adding “t” to the word, to put some distance between the name of the product and the German American Bund. (The German American Bund was an organizationestablished in 1936 with 25,000 due-paying members, mainly ethnic Germans, including some Sturmadteilunger(SA) – more commonly known as Storm Troopers – living in the United States. Aside from its admiration for Adolf Hitler, the German American Bund program had a pro-Nazi agenda fueled by antisemitism, strong anti-communist sentiments, and demanded neutrality during the approaching European conflicts.)
The Bundt pan “languished in relative obscurity” until 1966, when Ella Helfrich entered her “Tunnel of Fudge Cake” into the 17th annual Pillsbury Bake-Off contest. Herchocolate nut cake with a gooey fudge center won second place. Ella’s cake was a hit, and the publicity gave H. David Dalquist’s Bundt pan national exposure. Her cakelooked impressive and was easy to prepare – both important considerations in a changing society, where a new generation of women were going back to school and starting careers. Her cake became Pillsbury’s most-requested recipe ever. After Helfrich’s success, Bundt pans flew off store shelves. “Bundt was our first success,” Dalquist said, according to an article in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
For years, a grateful Dalquist gave the Minneapolis Hadassah Chapter his production seconds. “I personally delivered the pans – 300 or 400 I think – to them,” Dalquistsaid. As explained in the Los Angeles Times, “the pans became a goldmine for the group, which sold them and used the proceeds to pay for schools and hospitals in Israel. With that homey little baking pan, Hadassah women built the most advanced medical center in the Middle East, the Hadassah Medical Center at Ein Karem.”
So, next time you bake a cake in your favorite Bundt pan, you can be proud that the man who created Bundt pan was inspired by a trio of nice Jewish women from the Hadassah Chapter of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
I wish you Happy Cooking and Baking! Alice
Recipes, Photos, Fun Ideas and Baking Tips to help you make the most of your Bundt Pan(s)
“The Star of David-shaped pan pays tribute to the Jewish women who inspired the original so long ago,” states blogger @JoyofMinnesota.
Rose Joshua, Hadassah member, Minneapolis, MN
Henry David Dalquist Founder and Chairman of Nordic Ware (Northland Aluminum Products, Inc) pictured with his daughter.
BAKING TIP Bundt pans can be finicky, so it’s very important to grease the pan well. After greasing the pan, dust with cocoa or flour to ensure successful removal from the pan. (DO NOT use regular cooking spray alone.) OR use Pam Baking Spray with Flour, or Baker’s Joy No-Stick Baking Spray with Flour. I’ve used each of these sprays, and they both work well. If you still have problems with a stuck Bundt, you can seek advice from the King Arthur Baking blog: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/10/10/stuck-bundt
FUN IDEA: Egg salad, Tuna salad, etc.
Line the pan with plastic wrap, then fill with egg or tuna salad — or chicken salad or salmon mousse. Chill and unmold onto a platter for a buffet lunch. You can use a 3-cup mini-Bundtpan for a smaller amount of salad, such as the egg salad pictured left. Perfect for a small gathering.
FUN IDEA: Main and Side Dishes
Bundt pans can be great for making side dishes or even main dishes like meatloaf.Make your Thanksgiving stuffing using a Bundt pan and WOW your guests!
FUN IDEA: Chilling Bucket
Throw some ice cubes and a couple of small drinks into your Bundt pan to use it as a chilling bucket.
BAKING TIP for Apple Pecan Spice Bundt with Toffee Glaze Recipe
As you will see in the next recipe, there are lots of spices in this cake; that’s why the list of ingredients looks so long. Don’t be intimidated! This cake is actually easy to make. I suggest you take the time to make the Toffee Glazebecause the glaze is sooooo delicious. This recipe made a fair amount glaze, more than I needed for this cake, so I froze half of it to serve with the next Bundt cake I make. Waste not, want not. Although the cake stands on its own without any adornment (or perhaps just a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar), the glaze turns it into something extra special. I’d say it’s perfect for the High Holy Days, Shabbat, or any festive occasion.
Apple Pecan Spice Bundt with Toffee Glaze
Ingredients for Apple Pecan Spice Bundt Cake:
1 1/4 cups (270 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (224 grams) canola oil
3/4 cup (180 grams) sour cream, room temperature
3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground allspice
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (250 grams) (1/4-inch) diced peeled Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples (about 2 large apples)
3/4 cup (85 grams) roughly chopped toasted pecans
Toffee Glaze (recipe follows)
Ingredients for Toffee Glaze:
1 cup (220 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup (226 grams) dark corn syrup
1/3 cup (80 grams) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
Directions for Bundt Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla at medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, kosher salt, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in apples and pecans. Batter will be thick.
4. Grease a 10-cup Nordic Ware Pan*. Using a pastry brush, spread any excess spray in pan, blotting brush with a paper towel as needed. Transfer batter to prepared pan using a ½ cup measuring cup or a ¼ cup spring-loaded scoop. Gently but firmly tap pan on counter several times to spread batter into grooves and release any air bubbles.
5. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
6. Gently loosen cake from center of pan. To avoid scratching the nonstick surface of the pan, use aTovolo** spreader tool to loosen the cake (if necessary). Wearing oven mitts, invert cake onto a wire rack. Leave pan on cake; let stand for 10 minutes. Remove pan, and let cool completely.
7. Spoon part of Toffee Glaze all over the cooled cake. To coat sides, drizzle with additional Toffee Glaze, and spread with back of spoon or silicone spreader. Serve with any extra Toffee Glaze. Serves 10-12.
Directions for Toffee Glaze:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, butter, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Transfer mixture to a medium heatproof bowl. Let cool for 20 minutes. Use immediately.
*A Bavaria Bundt pan was used for this recipe, but any 10-cup or 12-cup Bundt pan will result in a beautiful cake. **The Tovolo Spreader (see red/grey silicone tool pictured)is a great for loosening the cake from the pan because it’s made of silicone and won’t scratch the pan. Use it for spreading jams or butter, too. It’s multiuse! (Tool can be found on Amazon.)
Pomegranate Lime Sparkling Punch with Decorative Ice Ring
2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
½ cup fresh pomegranate juice (Pom brand is a good choice because it adds a nice bright red color)
2 liters (9 cups) sparkling lemon lime soda or ginger ale
1 cup gin (optional)
Ingredients for the Ice Mold:
Distilled water (for clarity of ice)
Pomegranate seeds
Lime slices
Directions:
1. Chill liquid punch ingredients thoroughly in the refrigerator, preferably for 8 hours, prior to combining in a punch bowl.
2. Select your favorite shape of Bundt pan (can be 6-12 cup size) or use a “cakelet” pan mold for mini-ice floats. If using a 6-12 cup Bundt pan, add chilled distilled water to Bundt so that water is approximately 1” deep. Freeze until fully set. Layer lime wheels and sprinkle pomegranate seeds and freeze another hour. Then add another 1- 2 inches of chilled distilled water and let freeze until solid, 2-3 hours.
3. Combine well-chilled punch ingredients in a punch bowl. Just before serving, fill kitchen sink with warm water and dip the exterior of the Bundt pan briefly to release the ice. Invert to release ice mold, and place gently into filled punch bowl. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and decorate with lime slices as desired. Serve immediately. Serves 10.
TIP for the Ice Mold: When you’re freezing the ice mold, you can fill the pan with 50-75% water, then fill the rest with the juice, tea or liquor you’re using in the punch. When the ice melts, the punch will be less diluted than if you had used only water.
So I talk a lot… 