This recipe, which came to us in honor of Juneteenth from baker Amanda Mack of Crust by Mack bakery in Baltimore, is a true two-for-one: a rich, moist chocolate Bundt cake that requires no mixer plus a vibrant glaze made with fresh fruit. Mack says the glaze isn't just delicious — it's meaningful, too. "The color red is really significant for a Juneteenth cake," representing the red stripe of the pan-African flag, the blood that was shed in the slave trade, and, most of all, according to Mack, "the power and strength we have as African Americans."
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To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Generously spray a 10-cup Bundt pan, preferably nonstick, with nonstick spray and dust lightly with cocoa powder.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk until the batter is smooth. Add the hot coffee and whisk until fully incorporated; the batter will have thickened slightly.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan (it should be no more than 2/3 full).
Bake the chocolate Bundt cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a long skewer or paring knife inserted into the cake comes out clean and the internal temperature is at least 205°F. Remove the cake from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes before inverting it onto the rack or serving plate. Let the cake cool completely. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
To make the glaze: In a food processor, process the fruit until completely broken down. Pour the fruit purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of the strained fruit juice and stir to make a thick glaze that’s the consistency of molasses. Add more fruit juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper consistency. Slowly add in food coloring to reach your desired hue.
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Wait for the glaze to set, 15 to 20 minutes, then slice and serve.
Storage information: Store any leftover chocolate Bundt cake at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days. Freeze for longer storage.
Tips from our Bakers
This glaze can also be made with fresh raspberries or cherry concentrate:
To make it with fresh raspberries, press 1 cup (120g) raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Add 2 cups (227g) sifted confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt; stir to make a thick glaze. Add water or confectioners’ sugar as need to achieve a thick, pourable consistency.
To make it with cherry concentrate, whisk 2 cups (227g) sifted confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon cherry juice concentrate and 2 tablespoons (28g) water, stirring to make a thick glaze. Add water by the 1/2 teaspoon, if necessary, to achieve the proper molasses-like consistency. (If using cherry juice, rather than cherry concentrate, start with 2 tablespoons cherry juice and increase from there.)
