Cake, as we think of it is generally round, frosted, and serves to celebrate something in our lives. This is true in different cultures as well. In India, they celebrate with Barfi, a popular cake that is similar to cheesecake in the United States. Gateau de Rois, or King Cake, is similar to sponge cake and is popular in France. And in South Africa they celebrate with Milk Tart.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a popular type of cake found in Europe was Kugelhof. It was very similar to what we know as Bundt cake today. Kugelhof was sweet bread made with a few simple ingredients: flour, milk, and yeast. It was the decoration that really took the cake. You would of often seen fudge, chocolate, or fruit syrups drizzled on the top, with lemon zest, almonds, raisins, and blueberries draped along the top …show more content…
Bundt cake is no exception. As you can see, it is made in a circular mold that has a hole in the middle. The hole helps to keep the edges moist while ensuring the cake cooks all the way through. It makes for denser and moister cake, which can double as sweet bread. The mold shown here is from the 1800s and is made from red iron clay. Similar molds could be found up and down the East Coast in the 1800 and 1900s. You can still find very similar molds today at your local baking store. You can even buy them in the shape of flowers, beehives, animals, and abstract shapes for a little extra