A history: Bake-offs and Bundt pans

Sunday: Ella Rita Helfrich won second place in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off, but her creation started a cake craze, and it's still No. 1 in the hearts of many: the Tunnel of Fudge Cake. Helfrich utilized a special cake form -- the Bundt pan -- from local company Nordic Ware. The pan had been around since 1950, but her gooey-centered delight caused the sale of the pan, and the cake's popularity, to take off. Learn about the history of the confection, and the fascination bakers still have with the recipe, at "Tunnel of Fudge Cake: The Bake-Off and the Bundt Pan" at Mill City Museum. You'll also get baking tips, sample the cake and take home your own copy of the recipe. (2 p.m. Sun. Program included with museum admission, $5-$10. Mill City Museum, 704 S. 2nd St., Mpls. 612-341-7555 or www.millcitymuseum.org.)

BRIAN LEEHAN