The “Wonder Pot” is an Israeli invention!
Before the establishment of the State of Israel and until the 1970s (relatively late, as ovens were already in use), this pot was used for baking over a patilya (traditional kerosene stove) and other types of stoves.
Some called it by its German name, “Wundertopf”, but the popular name was “Wonder Pot”.
How the pot worked:
In the center of the pot was a round cavity that looked like a chimney. The pot was placed on a wide metal ring, whose inner edges rose to form the chimney.
This ring separated the pot from the stove, and the pot was mounted on top of the chimney.
The ring was designed to absorb and distribute heat (the thickness of the ring determined the baking time), ensuring that the cake would bake evenly on all sides and in the center.
To remove the cake from the pot onto a plate, the pot was simply inverted over the plate or tray.