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.
Have made this quite a few times and it comes out great every time 🙂
Hi Dassana, I have tried this recipe so many times at home and every time my husband enjoyed eating that cake.
But this time I baked this cake for my colleague as it was her birthday and to my surprise everyone just loved it.
Everyone appreciated my baking. It made my day. Some of them asked for the recipe so that they can give it a try. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe.
Love from New Zealand
hi neha, so nice to read your comment. it has made my day too. thanks for sharing and for the rating too. love from india.
Can I add atta instead of maida.
yes. but more water will be required as atta absorbs more water. so add accordingly.
what can i used instead of baking soda as i dont have baking soda
baking soda cannot be skipped and is required. so nothing can be used instead of baking soda.
I was a bit concerned about the curd in the cake. Does the cake taste pungent or will it have a normal flavour. Please do let me know.
not at all. curd does not lend any pungent or sour curd in the tutti frutti cake. you won’t feel its taste. but make sure not to use sour curd (khatta dahi).
Hi Dassana amit. I just want to know why your app is not working. I like your recipes. And i got respect at my sasural because of your delicious recipes. But app is always easy and handy. I miss my veg recipes of india App. Please let me know how can i get back this app?
Thanks Priya for your positive feedback. We could not manage the app well. So we have deleted it. You can check all the recipes on this website.
Hi Amit, I am new Baker. Faced a couple of problems. First the sugar didn’t dissolve fully in the oil. Second one is cake didn’t cook in the middle part. Rest of the part was fully cooked and tasty but not spongy. Plz advise.
garima the sugar dissolves when you add in the cake batter and fold. sponginess in this cake comes from the reaction of baking powder and vinegar. so if the baking powder is not fresh or active, the cake won’t become spongy. looks like here the baking powder is at fault and hence the cake looks undone.
actually the cake is baked but since its not spongy or porous in that part, it looks like its not baked. for baking always use fresh ingredients. to check the freshness of baking powder or baking soda, dissolve 2 to 3 pinches of it in water+vinegar solution. it should fizz and bubble. if not then it is not active or fresh. hope this helps.
What is the time and temperature if I am using microwave?
180 degrees celsius temperature can be used. for the time it varies with the oven model, make, size and type. so i cannot give an exact time. just check the cake after 20 to 25 minutes and if not done, then continue to bake.
I tried this recipe and did as mentioned above but the centre and base of the cake remained uncooked. Please tell me what to do to avoid this problem.
if you are using an OTG, then use either the bake option (bottom heating rod is on) or the toast option (top and bottom heating rod is on) while baking. keep the pan in the center rack of the oven.
use the right size of pan. base and center is not getting cooked as there is no heat coming from the bottom of the pan. so i guess you using a microwave oven in convection mode. if using the convection mode of microwave oven, then use a metal pan and not a silicon or glass pan.
if you use these pans, then the base will not get browned or remain uncooked from the center.
Hi can we replace maida with atta ?
you can try. if the batter looks thick then you can add some water or milk.
What will be the shelf life of the cake if I want to make it today n carry it on Sunday to Delhi from Hyderabad.. will it stay soft n fresh..
3 to 4 days.
very tasty cake! excellent recipe. My cake was ready in exactly 40 mins.
thanks kanish for your positive feedback.