The Bundt pan became a global phenomenon after a "Tunnel of Fudge" cake won second place at the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off.

The Bundt pan was created in 1950 by H. David Dalquist, founder of Minneapolis-based Nordic Ware. He designed the aluminum pan in response to a request from members of the Hadassah Society, who wanted a lighter alternative to the traditional European ceramic Gugelhupf mold. Despite its clever design, the pan remained a niche product that struggled to gain mainstream traction for over a decade.The breakthrough came at the 17th annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1966. Ella Helfrich, a 49-year-old homemaker from Houston, Texas, used the pan to create her signature "Tunnel of Fudge" cake. While she earned only second place and a $5,000 prize, her recipe captivated the public imagination. The cake's gooey, fudge-filled center was perfectly showcased by the pan's distinctive ring shape.The competition sparked an immediate surge in demand. Pillsbury received over 200,000 letters from consumers asking where to purchase the unique pan. Nordic Ware ramped up production to 30,000 pans per day to meet the overwhelming orders. This single event transformed the Bundt pan from a struggling product into an American kitchen essential. By the early 1970s, it had become the world's best-selling cake pan.