Remember when Bundt cakes were the culinary rage? Every mom in America had to have a Bundt pan and multiple cake recipes. Well, its time to pull out your favorite Bundt pan and recipe. It's contest time!
According to Nordic Ware, the makers of the famous pan, they are hosting their second-annual national recipe contest inviting bakers to submit their most creative, best-tasting Bundt creations. This year, Nordic Ware's theme calls for recipes that celebrate 10 popular American holidays. Each recipe entered into the contest will be judged on originality, taste, texture, visual appearance, use of ingredients and an essay describing how the entry represents in its own special way, one of America's popular holidays. Because there is a Bundt pan for every season, bakers will be encouraged to make good use of one of the many seasonal Bundt designs from Nordic Ware. Bakers will be required to capture the essence of the Bundt cake meaning no elaborate use of frostings. The contest runs from April 1, 2007 to September 1, 2007.
"We are so excited for our second "Bundts Across America" contest which celebrates a dessert baked for generations in virtually every kitchen in America," says David Dalquist, president of Nordic Ware. "This contest is a celebration of the bakers that continue to re-invent the Bundt cake with their creative flair. Our contest was a huge success last year so we are excited to continue this tradition in 2007."
Margo Murdock, the 2006 "Bundts Across America" grand prize winner, received a trip to New York to sit in the audience of the Martha Stewart Show, to celebrate National Bundt Day! In addition, she also was awarded an elegant family reunion party held in January and $1000 worth of Nordic Ware products. Margo's (slightly!) intoxicating spin on the traditional cake was called "Chocolate Cabernet Flavors Di 'Vine' Wine Cake." Last year's theme called for recipes that were representative of the state they hailed from. Murdock's winning recipe featured a creative combination of chocolate devil's food cake, black cherry gelatin and California Cabernet Sauvignon wine, creating rich and complex flavors from a simple list of ingredients. As a busy third grade teacher in Stockton, California, Margo says she's learned that making great food doesn't have to be stressful or complicated.
Contest Rules:
Bakers must create recipes for one of the following popular holidays: Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. Nordic Ware staff and a team of experienced culinary experts will carefully evaluate each recipe and pick 10 finalists. The 10 finalists will be invited to participate in the national bakeoff contest to be held in San Francisco in October where another team of culinary experts and representatives from Nordic Ware will judge the final cakes and one grand prize winner will be selected from those 10 finalists. The grand prize winner will be announced on or around November 15, National Bundt Day!
Prizes:
The ten finalists will be treated to a fun-filled expense paid weekend in San Francisco, which will include participating for the Grand Prize at the bake-off being held at the famous San Francisco Baking Institute. The 10 finalists will also receive a $500 Nordic Ware gift certificate and the grand prize winner of the "2007 Bundts Across America" will receive $10,000 in cash!
The "Bundts Across America" contest is sponsored by Nordic Ware. The Bake-off will be held at the San Francisco Baking Institute. Since 1996, the San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI) has trained hundreds of professional and aspiring bakers from all over the world. SFBI is recognized within the baking industry as a place where artisan baking is respected, appreciated and celebrated.
How to Enter:
To enter, participants must complete the official entry form found online at http://www.nordicware.com/ or send the entry via mail. The entry packet must include a detailed, original Bundt cake recipe (including ingredients, exact measures, preparation instructions, garnishes, type of pan, baking time and temperature) on a separate sheet of paper. Entries must also include a picture of the individual Bundt creations, along with an essay of 50 words or less describing how your Bundt recipe best represents the holiday you have selected from the list of eligible holidays. No entries will be accepted prior to April 1, 2007. All entries must be postmarked by September 1, 2007. Entries can be mailed to: "Bundts Across America" Contest, P.O. Box 16297, St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416.
Happy cooking and if you need any taste testers, we'll be glad to volunteer.
