Love tutti frutti, which is nothing but candied fruits? Also, are crazy for cakes? Then, this is the perfect recipe for you to try at home. The Tutti Frutti Cake is a popular variety of a soft and light Indian cake made with all-purpose flour, tutti frutti, butter, sugar and flavorings. This homemade cake can be made both with eggs and without eggs. I share an eggless version with a soft, light and moist crumb. This is also one of those Eggless Cake Recipes that even newbies in baking can make easily.
About Tutti Frutti Cake
This is a delightful cake with tutti frutti (candied fruits) being one of the star ingredients. Of course, there is the cake but without tutti frutti it will be a simple vanilla cake.
These tiny colorful candied fruit bits bring in a chewy bite and sweet pop of flavor in the cake. I would definitely recommend this Tutti Frutti Cake recipe to all those who spend days and days, and hours and hours, in search of a perfect eggless version of it.
This recipe is bound to result in a lovely soft, light and moist cake that you will get addicted to, in no time.
Table of Contents
The 3 major elements of this Tutti Frutti Cake include:
- Preparing a sifted dry mix of all-purpose flour (maida) mixture with baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder (optional) and the tutti frutti.
- A simple sugar solution with raw or regular sugar, water, melted butter or a neutral flavored oil and vanilla extract.
- The curd (yogurt) mixture that acts as the alternative to eggs, with a dairy or vegan curd, baking soda, apple cider or white vinegar and water.
Once you are ready with all these and the batter is made, you just have to bake it well to get the best Tutti Frutti Cake, which is a perfect accompaniment to your tea and coffee.
About My Recipe
To make this Tutti Frutti Cake, I have adapted my recipe of Eggless Vanilla Cake. I have been making this cake with tutti frutti for many years now. As I said, in this recipe, I have used fresh homemade curd (yogurt) as an egg replacement.
I also add an acidic ingredient – apple cider vinegar (can be swapped with lemon juice or white vinegar) to the batter, which when combined with the alkaline baking soda, releases carbon dioxide and helps the batter to aerate and makes for a softer, fluffier texture. Simple science. Isn’t it?
Earlier while making this cake, I used to add ½ cup oil or melted butter in the recipe. But later, I started reducing the quantity of oil. I felt that even with ¼ cup oil or melted butter, the cake gets a lovely light crumb and is moist.
You can use both melted butter or oil in the recipe. I have made the cake with both these fats on various occasions. Both give good results in the cake. If using oil, then use a neutral flavored or neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil.
How to make Tutti Frutti Cake
Sift Dry Ingredients
1. Take a sieve. Keep a mixing bowl below the sieve. In the sieve, add 1.5 cups (about 187 to 190 grams) all-purpose flour (maida).
2. Then, add 1 pinch salt, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
If you do not have cinnamon powder, skip it. Alternatively, you can add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients.
4. Now, add ½ cup tutti frutti.
5. With a spoon or spatula, mix the tutti frutti with the sifted flour so that it gets coated with the flour. Set aside.
Lightly coating the tutti frutti bits with the flour mix, ensures that while baking, these candied fruits do not settle at the bottom of the cake, but are distributed evenly in the cake.
6. Grease a loaf pan measuring 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches with butter and oil and keep aside. You can even line the pan with butter paper or parchment paper.
A round cake pan having 7 to 8 inches diameter also works well.
Also, preheat the oven at 180 degrees C or 356 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Mix Sugar With Liquids
7. In another bowl, take ¾ cup (160 grams) sugar.
8. Add ½ cup water (at room temperature).
9. Begin to mix the sugar with water with a whisk or spoon.
10. The entire sugar should dissolve before starting with the next step.
11. After all of the sugar has dissolved, add ¼ cup melted butter or oil. You can melt butter in a small pan or bowl and keep it ready.
Use unsalted butter. But if you have salted butter, skip adding the salt when sifting the flour.
12. With a whisk, stir briskly for 2 to 3 minutes, so that the melted butter mixes with water evenly.
13. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or scrape half of a vanilla bean and add the tiny seeds in the solution.
Here, I have used vanilla bean. Mix again well. Keep this sugar solution aside.
Make Yogurt Mixture
14. In another bowl, take 3 tablespoons fresh curd (yogurt).
Ensure that the curd is not sour.
15. Add 1 tablespoon water.
16. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar.
You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. I have used apple cider vinegar.
You can also use 1 tablespoon lemon juice, instead of vinegar.
17. Stir and mix very well with a spoon or small wired whisk.
18. Now, add ½ teaspoon baking soda.
19. Stir and mix again very well.
20. You will see the solution frothing and bubbling.
Make Cake Batter
21. Quickly, add the prepared sugar solution to the dry flour mixture.
22. Immediately, add the bubbling curd solution also to the flour mixture in the bowl.
23. Be quick and begin to mix gently to a smooth batter with a wired whisk. Mix with light pressure from your hands on the whisk.
24. Do not overdo the mixing. You can even fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Tiny lumps are fine in the batter.
25. Pour the batter in the greased or lined cake pan.
26. Gently tap the cake pan on the kitchen table top once or twice.
Bake Tutti Frutti Cake
27. Place the cake pan in the oven.
28. Bake the cake at 180 degrees C or 356 degrees F in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or more or less, if required.
Baking time will vary depending on the temperature conditions in the oven and the size of the oven.
Remember not to open the oven door until the cake is three-fourth baked. Opening the door many times will cause the cake to sink in the center.
29. Check with a bamboo skewer or fork and it should come out clean. If the cake is baked well, then the bamboo skewer will have a few crumbs on it and no sticky cake batter.
If the cake is under baked then keep back in the oven and bake for some more minutes.
30. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool down.
31. When the cake has completely cooled to room temperature, then using a butter knife, loosen the edges of the cake. Invert the pan on a chopping board.
Gently tap the bottom of the cake pan and remove the Tutti Frutti Cake.
32. Slice the cake.
33. Serve Tutti Frutti Cake slices as it is or with some milk, tea or coffee.
Remaining cake slices or loaf can be refrigerated in an air-tight container and lightly warmed before serving.
What is Tutti Frutti
Since this is a Tutti Frutti Cake, you should know what tutti frutti exactly is. Tutti frutti basically is candied fruits made with papaya, pineapple, cherries, currants, watermelon rind, apricots, various berries, etc.
In India, tutti frutti essentially is colorful, candied bits of papaya. It is made from green unripe papaya. Making homemade tutti frutti is an extensive and time-consuming process.
So, you can also buy it easily from a grocery store or online. If you live in the US, you can find it in an Indian grocery store and online as well.
Tutti frutti is one ingredient that I use, which has artificial colors. I don’t have the time and energy to make these candied raw papaya pieces at home.
So, I buy from outside when I have to add it in recipes like the Tutti Frutti Cake. A few more recipes where you can add it are Eggless Fruit Cake, Tutti Frutti Cookies and Tutti Frutti Ice Cream.
Expert Tips
- Whole Wheat Flour Option: You can also make this cake with an equal mix of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour. For a complete whole wheat option, I would suggest to use whole wheat pastry flour for a softer and lighter texture. Remember when using whole wheat flour, you will have to add more liquids to get the right consistency in the batter.
- Yogurt Freshness: Do use fresh curd (yogurt), and not the one which has become sour or is very tangy.
- Sweeteners: Easily adjust the amount of sugar in the cake. Add about ½ or ⅔ cup sugar for a cake which is less sweeter. You could also opt to omit the sugar and include your preferred sweeteners – jaggery, maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut sugar or palm sugar. However, make a note that the cake will have a unique taste and flavor when you use these sweeteners
- Butter: It is best to use unsalted butter. But if you are using salted butter, then do not add the salt while sifting the flour. You can use a neutral flavored oil instead of melted butter.
- Type of Vinegars: You can add either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in the curd mixture. Even the same quantity of lemon juice can be added in place of vinegar.
FAQs
Yes of course. Skip the cinnamon powder and only use vanilla. If you like the sweet scented aroma of green cardamom powder, you could use it instead of the cinnamon powder.
For a vegan version, use plant-based yogurt and a neutral tasting oil or a plant-based butter.
Tutti frutti is easily available to buy online, if you cannot get it in the stores.
More Eggless Cake Recipes To Try!
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
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Homemade Tutti Frutti Cake Recipe (Without Eggs)
Ingredients
For dry mixture
- 1.5 cups (187 to 190 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder (ground cinnamon), optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup (approx 80 grams) tutti frutti
For sugar solution
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup (160 grams) raw sugar or regular sugar – can add as required * check point 3 in notes
- ¼ cup melted butter or neutral flavored oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder or half of a vanilla bean, scraped
For curd mixture
- 3 tablespoons Curd (yogurt), dairy or vegan
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Sifting dry ingredients
- Take a sieve. Keep a mixing bowl below the sieve. In the sieve add the all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon powder and baking powder.
- Sift all the dry ingredients.
- Now add the tutti frutti.
- Simply mix the tutti frutti with the flour so that they get coated with the flour.
- Grease a loaf pan with butter and oil and keep aside. You can even line the pan with butter paper or parchment paper. Also preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Making sugar solution
- In a bowl take sugar and water.
- Mix the sugar with water till all the sugar granules are dissolved.
- After all of the sugar has dissolved, add melted butter or oil. You can melt butter in a small pan and keep it ready. With a whisk mix briskly for 2 to 3 minutes till the oil has mixed evenly with the water.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or scrape half of a vanilla bean and add the tiny seeds in the solution. Mix again well. Keep this sugar solution aside.
Making curd mixture
- In another bowl take fresh curd or yogurt, water and vinegar.
- You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. I have used apple cider vinegar. You can also use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Mix very well.
- Now add baking soda. Stir to combine so that the baking soda is mixed evenly.
- You will see the mixture frothing and bubbling.
Making cake batter
- Quickly add the sugar solution to the sifted dry ingredients.
- Then immediately add the bubbling curd solution.
- Mix gently to a smooth batter with light pressure from the hands on the whisk. Do not overdo the mixing. You can even fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Tiny lumps are fine in the batter.
- Pour the cake batter in the greased or lined cake pan.
- Gently tap the cake pan on the kitchen table top once or twice.
Baking tutti frutti cake
- Place the cake pan in the preheated oven.
- Bake the cake at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or more or less as required. Baking time will vary depending on the temperature conditions in the oven and the size of the oven.
- Check with a skewer or fork and it should come out clean.
- Place the pan on a wired rack to cool.
- When the cake has completely cooled at room temperature, then using a butter knife loosen the edges of the cake. Invert the pan on a chopping board.
- Gently tap the bottom of the cake pan and remove the cake. Slice the cake.
- Serve the eggless Tutti Frutti Cake as is or with some milk or tea or coffee. Remaining cake can be refrigerated and lightly warmed before serving.
Notes
- For a whole wheat option, either use whole wheat pastry flour or use equal proportions (¾ cup each) of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. Sift the flour twice or thrice before making the batter and slightly add more of the liquids to get the right batter consistency.
- Remember to use fresh curd (yogurt), and not the one which has become overly sour or is too tangy.
- If you like to reduce sugar in the cake, consider adding about ½ or ⅔ cup of sugar according to your taste preferences.
- You could also omit the sugar completely and use other alternatives like maple syrup, palm sugar, brown sugar, jaggery or coconut sugar.
- Unsalted butter works perfectly in this cake. Yet, if all that you have is salted butter, then remember not to add the salt while sifting the flour.
- For a plant based version, include a neutral flavored oil and a plant based yogurt.
- Feel free to use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Additionally you could use same amount of lemon juice instead of the vinegar.
- The approximate nutrition data is for one slice of the Tutti Frutti Cake.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Tutti Frutti Cake recipe from the archives was first published on December 2013.
hello,I really like your recipes and tried few of them,all came out really tasty :),plz tell can I use non -fruit vinegar in place of apple vinegar,and is eno fruit salt is good substitute for baking soda.
thanks jayanti. yes you can use white vinegar or even use lemon juice. i have never tried eno fruit salt but it is more strong than baking soda. so if you plan to add eno fruit salt then add half the amount of baking soda.
Thank you so much for the prompt reply Dassana. One more doubt. Is it possible to add dry fruits like cashews and raisins?
welcome karthika. yes you can but don’t add too much.
Hi Dassana,
Can i use vinegar in all type of cakes?
sreeja, it depends upon recipe to recipe. so you can not.
Dear Dassana,
This particular cake looks really tempting and I want to try baking this one. I have a doub. Should the yogurt be in room temperature? I trust your site for eggless cake recipes. And I am not an expert when it comes to baking. But your detailing just helps. You are doing an excellent job. Thanks a ton
Regards
Karthika
welcome karthika. yes the yogurt should be at room temperature.
Aapki recipe bahot acchi hai easy to understand.I want some more recipe for my family.
I want to know how microwave use easy way I only use it for heat something
thanks. you can check the recipes using the various categories headings or search for a particular recipe in the google search bar. i don’t use microwave much for cooking. like you i also use it to reheat.
Hi dassana,
Recently only i started cooking, being a novice had no knowledge about cooking. But now i can say that i can cook and it happened because of you and the way you explain the minute to minute details about the recipes. Thank you once again.
Cooking main course/ starters is not a task now, but preparing cake took a toll on me. Being this my first time baking a cake was a horrible one, though i followed your recipe step by step only.
I have microwave oven, so i have no clue whether can i bake cake in that oven. However i did, but it was a disaster. I had baked the cake for 30 mins, and burnt the whole cake from inside.
Please let me know whether can i bake a cake in microwave oven. If no, then please add few cake recipies for such ovens.
I am disheartened with the disaster happened.
Please help !!!
hi nimisha, thanks for the feedback. firstly don’t get disheartened. mishaps happen in baking. it happens with me too on occasions. we all learn through our trials not only in baking but in life as well. while bakiing any cake, never follow the time period that is mentioned in the recipe. the reason for this is that each oven is different and so is the heating temperature in the oven. so if a recipe calls for 30 minutes, then its very much possible that there will be a variation in the time period from 20 to 40 minutes in various ovens.
did you bake the cake in microwave mode or convection mode of your microwave oven? if you used microwave mode then your cake will get burnt in 30 minutes. 5 minutes are enough for the cake to be done in the microwave mode. if you used convection mode, then the cake should not get burnt but will be too browned. you can make cakes in the microwave oven, but your oven should have the convection mode or feature. i have baked cakes as well as breads in the convection mode of the microwave oven i have.
Thank you Dassana.
Mine is Grill Microwave Oven, it has options like combination cooking and other cook functions inbuilt in it.
The first attempt, i directly baked without using cook option and set the timer for 30min. Thus, burnt the cake.
And the second attempt, i opted for cook function option for baking cake, automatically timer set for 5 mins. The cake was baked however it was crumbly and little bit under cooked on the bottom. Tried to fix the problem by setting a combination which made the bottom of the cake bit hard.
Do let me know if you can help!
Thanks for lending an ear ! Hope can fix this error and bake once again without burning :p
Thank you once again for sharing the recipes.
hi nimisha, baking cakes do not work very well in grill option as well as combination option. combination option means both grill function and microwave functions are used. now what happens here is that the food is cooked by the microwave electrons as well due to the heat from the grill. so if a cake is baked using combination function, you won’t get desired results in the cake. the microwave energy will harden the cake and the the heat from the grill will cook the cake from the top and dry it out. basically its uneven cooking happening in the cake. so i would not suggest you to make a cake in the combination mode. if you plan to bake cakes often, then its good to invest in an OTG which is not expensive.
but you can make cakes in the cook or microwave mode. you will have to get the recipes where the cake is cooked using the microwave mode. these cakes generally have the batter consistency on the thinner side and take about 5 minutes to cook.
welcome 🙂
Hi,
Which oven do you use? and how long should I pre-heat the oven for?
vinaya, i use philips oven. pre-heat for 15 minutes.
hello…… can i use tandoor for baking tutti frutti cake…
bcoz i don’t have oven.
neha, you have to try. i am not sure.
Dear Dasana ma’am,
Thanks s not word enough for my experience today…it s my son’s 5th bday this friday…got a big party planned…sonny wanted a 5tier cake.. Tada …ur recipe .. Just created his dream cake… 6batches ..5 hours later…bliss .. Due to lack of a better word- thanks a lot ma’am
welcome sud n prad. thats a very sweet feedback from you. i am sure everyone will enjoy the cake you made with lot of care and love.
hie dassana,vry thnkful for such a tasty tutti friti cake….i need to know d alternative of oil used in it.i felt a light smell of oil …N also d batter’s thickness??ll b waiting for ur rpl..thnku once again
thanks dr vincy. you can use melted butter instead of oil. the batter is a medium thick batter.
Hi dassana, can v double the quantity to make a bigger cake. Can u give the quantities detaily, need to make it fr my daughters birthday on monday she loves it
hi swetha, i am afraid, this recipe cannot be doubled. it might not work well. but you can make two batches and bake, if you have the time. have a great day on monday.
Nice cakes
thanks ashu
Hi dassana wanted to try this cake… Is white vinegar same as chilli vinegar? I have Ching’s synthetic chilli vinegar… Will that do?
kruthika, both are different. chilli vinegar has taste and flavor of chilli and used for indo-chinese recipes. so don’t add chilli vinegar.
Hi Dassana,
Thank you soo much. You make baking look so simple and easier. What a detailed recipe, lovely cake. You made my evening . God bless you tons. I followed your recipe and what a wonderful result. Thanks again . Only change I made I added less of tutti fruti n more of sun dried strawberries .
welcome seethe. glad to know that you like the recipes presentation. thanks for sharing your positive feedback and for your blessings.
Dear Dassana,
today I tried eggless tutti frutti cake,it is very tasty but outside it became crusty but inside its moist,don’t know where I went wrong.
I have even tried eggless banana cake….it was amazing.
Thanks for the lovely recipes.
Cheers
Geetha
hi geetha, the oven must have been too hot or the cake was baked for a longer time, due to which the crust has got over done. if use an OTG, then i would suggest to keep the cake pan on the center rack. if you see the top getting browned too fast and the cake is not done from inside and bottom, then cover the top of the cake with an aluminium foil or butter paper. thanks for the feedback.