What Is A Bundt Cake And What Makes It Different From A Large Donut?

Cakes come in all shapes, flavors, and sizes. There are classic sponges, buttery pound cakes, fluffy angel food cakes, and, of course, the ever impressive bundt cake. If you're unfamiliar with bundt cakes, they're basically firm, one-layered cakes that are baked in a special circular mold. They're typically glazed and they have a hole in the middle, a bit like a donut, but they're very different from the large donut cakes that bakeries often sell in the U.S.

Any cake that is baked in a bundt pan can be called a bundt cake, but they typically have a texture similar to that of a pound cake. Their molds give them a large, fluted shape, and a slightly caramelized crust. They're baked in an oven, rather than fried like a donut, and the batter has to be very moist to counteract the heat retention of the thin mold. Bundt cakes are also quite dense, which allows them to hold their shape after they've been turned out of the pan.

Donuts, meanwhile, are usually light and airy, and the classic versions contain yeast. There are cake donuts, which are made with baking soda and baking powder, but the large donuts sold in stores are typically closer to a yeast donut than a bundt cake.

One thing bundt cakes and donuts have in common is that they both originated in the U.S. Europeans have been baking circular cakes, like the German kugelhopf, for centuries. But the bundt pan was created by H. David Dalquist, the founder of Nordic Ware, in the 1950s. It took off in the late 1960s after it was used in a national baking competition, and bundt cakes remain popular today.

Donuts are an even more iconic American treat, and they can be traced back much further in history. These breakfast favorites actually have a Dutch immigration story that starts in 16th century New York. They were given their legendary ringed shape in the 1850s by a New England Sailor, and the rest is history.

Like bundt cakes, donuts come in many different flavors, but they have a lot more flexibility in terms of fillings and toppings. Bundt cakes can be just as delicious, though, with popular flavors like chocolate, lemon, and marble. You can also get creative and make a chocolate cream cheese bundt cake or a sticky toffee pudding bundt cake. There are different times and places for both treats, depending on your mood and cravings, but you can make an apple cider donut bundt cake if you really can't decide!