Several years ago, I baked a Bundt cake for a co-clerk’s birthday; he chose the cake from my favorite book of recipes. Chambers enjoyed the cake and somehow, (my memory is a bit unclear as to how this happened), the cake became the cake to celebrate significant events in the judiciary. The cake has been baked (and not just by me!) on dates including the feast of St. Thomas More, for the confirmation (subsequent to the recess appointment) of Judge Pryor, Supreme Court confirmations, judicial birthdays, and (perhaps?) the first Monday in October. It has been enjoyed in Chambers in the Third (I think),  Sixth, Seventh and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, the Eastern District of Michigan, and Southern District of Florida, to name a few. The cake thus became dubbed, “Article III Bundt cake,” after the third article of the Constitution, which (of course!) establishes the judicial branch of the federal government.

The recipe (which is altered and renamed from the original book’s version, alleviating any copyright or trademark concerns, right dear reader(s)?) I cannot divulge here, because it may be passed on only to graduates and friends of a certain fourth-tier law school who implausibly obtained such a remarkable track record of clerkships in just a few short years. Graduates and federal clerks who might be interested in the recipe can contact me at the sidebar address, with enough information that I can verify that your affiliation with our alma mater, such as it is.

Bundt cakes seem to have German and Scandinavian origins, and the pans are even part of the Smithsonian collection. (See here.) If you like Bundts, here is a great site with a look at all the nifty Bundt pan shapes. I have baked everything from cakes to calzones to spaghetti Florentine in my Bundts. My personal favorite is the star Bundt. Tip: flour sprays make removing the cake so much easier than trying to grease and flour by hand. Cleaning the Bundt (especially the more intricate patterns) is a miserable task, sometimes tempting me to get out my water pick, but it is best done immediately after removing the cake. Such quick cleaning also ensures that other family members can enjoy the treat without the sight of the work or the lingering pan, making the creation all the sweeter!