The first bundt pan arrived on the scene in 1949, and it’s been wowing folks every since. Did you know there are over 300 delicious ways to use your bundt pan? (I say YOUR bundt pan, because research says 9 out of 10 home cooks now own one.)
The bundt pan was originally used for pound cakes. This cake gets its name from the fact that the ratio of ingredients is a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs. The secret to obtaining a fine, rather compact grained cake is the creaming of the butter and sugar, the gradual adding and beating in of the eggs (which act as the liquid) and the folding in of the flour. Today, because of its popularity, specific cake mixes have even been formulated for baking in a bundt pan.
I just love how pretty a cake looks that’s been baked in a bundt pan. If you’ve shied away from using one because of the tedium of greasing and flouring thoroughly, don’t let that stop you anymore. Now they come with a non-stick coating, so they’re extra easy to use. And, they also come in several sizes, from 12 cup to mini.
We all know this pan is used for cakes. But it’s used for other things as well. Here are a few ideas and recipes that might surprise you:
Mushroom Meat Ring
3-4 lbs ground beef
1 can mushroom soup
1 (4 oz) can drained mushrooms
¼ C dry breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp instant minced onion
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp allspice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Bake in a greased bundt pan for about 1 hour. Let stand 5-10 min. Turn out onto a serving plate. A lovely way to serve this is with fluffy mashed potatoes piled high in the center of the ring, and garnished with a sprig of parsley. Tres yummy!
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Tuna Souffle Salad
Packed with vitamins, tasty fresh vegetables make this a healthy and economical maid dish for a light supper. This recipe can be made in a standard pan or in the mini pans.
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
½ C cold water
½ can tomato soup
½ can consommé
¼ C lemon juice
1 Tbsp mustard
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried dill
1 C mayonnaise
1 (6 ½ oz) cans tuna
1 C chopped celery
½ C cucumbers, cut
½ C green bell pepper, cut
Soften gelatin in cold water. Heat soup and consommé to boiling and add gelatin mixture; stir to dissolve. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, salt and dill. Cool until slightly thickened. Whip and add mayonnaise. Fold in tuna and vegetables. Pour into bundt pan and chill until set. Unmold by dipping pan in warm water; invert onto your serving platter.
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Granola Harvest Cake
1 ¾ C boiling water
1 C granola
1 C raisins
1 C sugar
½ C firmly packed brown sugar
1 C butter
3 eggs
2 ½ C sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder (I prefer non-aluminum, such as Rumford’s)
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour boiling water over granola and raisins; cool to lukewarm. In large bowl, cream sugars and butter thoroughly. Beat in eggs until well blended. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices. At low speed, add to creamed mixture alternately with granola mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Bake in greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan for 40-50 min. or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 10-15 min.; turn out onto serving plate to finish cooling. Top with vanilla or maple glaze and garnish with chopped nuts if desired. This is so good!
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