Tutti frutti cake recipe – Make moist, fluffy and delicious bakery style tutti frutti cake at home with my easy and simple recipe. Tutti frutti cake is one of the most popular type of cakes available in Indian bakeries. Made with flour, milk, butter and of course tutti fruttis, this is one of the easiest even a beginner or a kid can bake. Filled with amazing rich buttery flavor and colorful tutti fruttis, this eggless tutti frutti cake is the best with a moist & light crumb.
If you are not from India, I am sure you are wondering what it is.
About Tutti Frutti Cake
Tutti frutti cake is a type of Indian fruit cake made with tutti fruttis (candied fruits), all-purpose flour, sugar, butter and vanilla essence. Much like any other bakery style sponge cakes a tutti frutti cake is light, moist, airy and is also available with an egg-free option.
So it is basically a sponge cake to which candied fruits are added. It is usually baked in a loaf tin and makes for a perfect snack cake that can be enjoyed anytime of the day.
Now if you are wondering what are tutti fruttis?
Tutti frutti is a candied confectionery or sugar confectionary made with different fruits like papaya, cherries, watermelon, oranges, raisins, berries, apricots etc. Tutti frutti means different in every country.
In a lot of countries they are just candied colorful fruits where no coloring or flavoring is added to them. While in a lot of countries, they are fermented in alcohol, spirits or yeast.
In India tutti fruttis are mostly made with raw papaya. But these days you also find the supermarkets having those made with watermelon rind or a with a mix of real fruits.
To make the tutti fruttis, tiny bits of raw papaya are cooked in sugar syrup and then colored. These are dehydrated and then marketed. These are added to various desserts and bakes like cookies, cakes, ice creams, breads and even in falooda.
My recipe
You can literally transform any vanilla sponge cake to a tutti frutti cake by adding the candied fruits to the batter. My recipe shared here is eggless but if you eat eggs you may use this butter cake recipe.
This eggless tutti frutti cake recipe uses milk and an acidic ingredient – lemon juice or vinegar which reacts with the soda and lends a very light & airy texture.
The tutti fruitti mix I have used also has the citrus peels so I have not added any extra flavourings. If yours does not have the citrus peels, add 1 tsp of lemon zest or orange zest.
You can also add some fruit essence or spice powders like cardamom, nutmeg or cinnamon to get your favourite flavours.
Indian Tutti fruttis are loaded with artificial colors and preservatives. Sometimes they also smell of the preservatives. So you may look for organic brands or simply use the real candied fruits.
Using artificially coloured tutti fruttis often is not my thing so I usually make this cake with the same amount of nuts, raisins & candied citrus peels.
For a healthier version you can check this Eggless Fruit cake made with wheat flour, nuts and mixed dried fruits.
I have baked this cake in Oven. If you do not oven a oven, then you can also bake it in a cooker following this Cooker cake recipe post.
How to make tutti frutti cake (stepwise photos)
1. Grease a loaf pan or cake pan. I have used a 8.5 by 4.5 inch loaf pan. You can also use a 7 or 8 inch cake pan. Line a parchment paper. If not using parchment paper then dust some flour all over the pan and shake off the excess by inverting it. Preheat the oven to 170 C or 340 F for at least 15 mins. If using a OTG, heat the oven with top and bottom, both heating elements ON. If using a microwave convection oven, turn on the convection option and heat at the same temperature.
2. Measure ½ cup tutti fruttis to a bowl. Sprinkle 1 tbsp flour and coat them well.
3. Mine also had the citrus peels so I did not add lemon or orange zest. If yours does not have then add in the 1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest to the fruit mix. Keep mixing well until all the tutti frutti are coated well with the flour.
4. Add 1 ¼ tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 270 ml milk (1 cup + 2 tbsp). I used room temperature milk. Ensure the milk is not very cold.
5. Mix well. You will see the milk begins to curdle. Set this aside.
6. Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl. Measure 1 ½ cups flour (190 grams) and add it to the sieve. If using a measuring cup, fluff up the flour in the jar with a fork, then spoon it to the measuring cup. Level the top with a straight edged knife or a spoon.
7. Measure 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Add it to the sieve.
8. Add ½ teaspoon baking soda.
9. Next add 1 pinch of salt.
10. Sieve all of them. Sieve the flour twice. This makes the cake light.
Making batter
11. Make a well in the center. Set this aside.
12. To the milk bowl, add ¾ cup sugar (plus 2 tablespoons – optional) and ¾ to 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. The organic sugar I use is low in sweetness so I use the extra 2 tbsps sugar. If using regular sugar you may cut down that.
13. Pour ½ cup melted butter or oil. I prefer butter for a rich flavor. But you may also use neutral oil like coconut.
14. Stir well until sugar has dissolved completely.
15. Pour this to the flour.
16. Mix gently with a spatula or whisk just until you see no streaks of flour. Do not over mix.
17. The batter is of ribbon consistency.
18. Add the tutti frutti.
19. Mix gently only a couple of times. Do not over mix else your tutti fruttis will sink to the bottom.
20. Pour the batter to the greased tray. Sprinkle some tutti fruttis on top if you prefer. Brush some milk on top. Knock the pan to the kitchen counter a few times.
Baking
21. Place the cake pan in the middle rack. Bake at 170 C or 340 F.
Bake Time
40 to 45 mins if using a 8 by 4 to 9 by 5 inch pan.
30 to 32 mins if using a 7 inch or 8 inch cake pan. Please adjust the baking time to suit your oven and pan size.
When the cake is done, a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan over a wired rack for 10 to 15 mins so it won’t sweat at the bottom.
22. Then invert it on a wire rack.
23. Lastly cool completely then remove the parchment paper.
24. Slice eggless tutti frutti cake with a segregated knife.
For more Cake Recipes, you can check
Eggless Vanilla cake
Black forest cake
Eggless Sponge cake
Carrot cake
Eggless Chocolate cake
Eggless Ragi cake
Related Recipes
Recipe card
Tutti frutti cake recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or maida (190 grams)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or maida (10 grams)
- ½ cup tutti fruiti (including citrus peels)
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch Salt
- ¾ cup sugar (+ 2 tbsp optional)
- ½ cup melted butter or oil
- 270 ml milk or 1 cup + 2 tbsp (do not use cold milk)
- 1 ¼ tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or lemon zest or orange zest or few drops of essence
Instructions
Preparation
- Grease a 8 by 4 inch loaf pan or a 7 to 8 inch cake tray.
- Dust with flour evenly or line a parchment paper. Set this aside.
- Preheat the oven to 170 C or 340 F for at least 15 mins. If using an OTG, top and the bottom heating elements must be On.
- Add tutti frutti to a bowl and sprinkle 1 tbsp flour.
- Coat them well with flour. Set this aside.
- Measure milk to a bowl. I warmed up the milk and used. It is good not to use very cold milk.
- Add lemon juice or vinegar to the milk. Stir well and set aside.
- Place a sieve over a mixing bowl.
- Fluff up the flour in the jar with a fork. Spoon it to the measuring cup and level the top with a straight edged knife or spoon. Add it to the sieve.
- Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the sieve.
- Sieve it to the bowl. Sieve the flour again.
- Make a well in the center & Keep this aside.
Making batter
- To the milk bowl, add sugar and vanilla extract.
- Pour melted butter or oil. Mix everything well until the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour this to the flour.
- Gently mix with a spatula or whisk until the flour is just combined well. Do not over mix the batter.
- The batter will be of ribbon consistency at this stage.
- Add in the tutti frutti. Gently stir in only a couple of times. Do not over do this as the tutti fruttis will settle down.
- Pour this to the cake pan. Knock it a few times to the counter. If desired you can sprinkle some more tutti fruttis on top.
- Brush with milk on top to get a golden top.
How to bake tutti frutti cake
- Bake for 40 to 45 mins if using a 8 by 4 inch loaf pan.
- A cake tester or skewer inserted comes out clean when it is baked completely.
- Cool it for 15 mins on a wire rack and then invert it on to the same rack.
- Cool completely before slicing. Eggless tutti frutti cake is ready to serve.
Notes
- You can skip vanilla extract if your tutti frutti has citrus peels.
- You can substitute tutti fruttis with the same amount of chopped nuts and raisins or even chocolate chips.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
This post is from the Archives. First published in December 2017. Updated and republished in November 2021.
Hi Swasthi,
As an Indian living abroad my whole life, I use your site a lot to replicate traditional recipes without fuss. Thank you for providing such easy recipes for so many dishes. Do you know how I can convert this recipe into one that has eggs?
Shikha
Hi Shikha
Glad to know the recipes are useful. Thank you so much!
I use this butter cake recipe to make the egg version of tutti frutti cake. Bake it in a loaf pan (8X4 inch) for 45 mins. Hope this helps
Swasthi, This looks amazing. How about using glaced cherries.? Do you think they will go well.?I can’t find tutti Frito’s in the near by stores.
Hi Siri,
Thank you. Yes you can use glace cherries, they are the same as candied cherries.
Hello mam
Wanted to ask can i use oil instead of unsalted butter in any other recipe??
Hi Prachi,
Yes use the same amount of oil
Hi Swathi
Please let me know, can I use almond milk for this tutti fruit cake.
Thank you
Hi Gomathi,
Yes you can use
Dear Swasthi, like all your eggless cakes this too came out really well. Thank you for your good work!!
Hello Dhanya
Glad to know the cake turned out good. Thank you!
Hi Swasthi,
Thanks for sharing this cake receipe. I made this cake on my daughter’s birthday with pineapple flavour icing. Texture… Flavor…colors… Everything was just perfect. Cake was soooo delicious. My daughter loved it.
Hi Ruchi
Glad to know! Thank you!
Hi Swasthi
Thanks for sharing.
It was so easy and quick and came out so well in a first try.
Idea of coating tutti fruit with flour was great
Thanks
Hi Archie
Welcome! Glad it came out good. Thank you
Your recipes are very easy and delicious, thank you.
Welcome Nidhi
Thanks for your recipes Swasthi.
U used all proportion same but it turned out to be dense in bottom. What could be reason? It was baked nicely from top.
Hi Namrata
May be the batter did not get mixed well.
What can I use instead of baking soda? Can I increase the quantity of baking powder?
Hi Sakshi
Please follow the recipe as is for best results
Dear Swasthi, My humble gratitude to you for sharing this recipe. My cake was little too dense, not sure is that’s how it is meant to be. Is it the oil ? Also, I find it too sweet – maybe because I have given up sugar for sometime now! Can I reduce the sugar content!
Also, I follow many recipes from your website and find it just apt for my cooking style. Thanks again and take care
Hi Swetha,
No it should be very light like a sponge cake. I only guess it has something to do with the measurements. Either more flour or less water is used. Give another try. I am not sure if it works well with lesser sugar. Sometimes using less sugar affects the moisture levels and makes a dry cake. Thanks for following the recipes. Hope this helps
For vegan option what kind of milk should I use? Almond milk or oats milk ?
Almond milk works. Check if the cake is done after 35 mins
Hi.. Powdered sugar or normal sugar? In India usually the sugar crystals are slightly bigger and not the fine variety. Is that ok to use? And same quantity?
Hi,
Use the same amount of granulated sugar (larger crystals). You will have to dissolve the sugar with the liquid ingredients before mixing with the flour. If you want to powder, measure the sugar first and then powder. Hope this helps
Hi,
I tried this recipe of yours with whole wheat flour and my cake turned out to be the best of all that I have made so far.. The texture was very soft and fluffy.. Just loved it. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Welcome Renuka
Glad to know it came out good.
Thank you
Hi thank you for your eggless cake recipes. today I tried this receipe. Cake come out but it’s was not properly baked means it was not fluffy.batter stick together and baked. Swever come out clean and taste was awesome. But not happy with texture. What was the reason please help as I am a beginner in baking and followed all steps.
Welcome Sunitha
Check your oven temperature settings once. Not sure what went wrong.Use the same pan size as mentioned or adjust the timings if using a different one. I have replied your earlier comment below.
🙂
Thank you for your reply. May be that was another Sunita?. I posted my comment first time. Temp of oven and pan size was same and it s taken 40 min to bake and then it was done. I tried your chocolate cake also on my daughter’s birthday and it was awesome she loved that.?thank you for your amazing recipes .
Sunita,
Glad to know your chocolate cake turned out good. Below another Sunitha’s comment you have already posted the same above comment twice. No problem at all! Yes the recipe says to bake for 40 to 45 mins. If your cake has turned sticky/ gluey it means the batter is overmixed. You should mix it only until combined. Hope this helps
Yes I had posted twice. Sorry.
Yes you are right may be I overmixed the batter.. next time I will keep in mind. thank you for your reply.
Today I tried Vanila and chocolate cup cake with using pink colour in Vanila cup cake as my daughters favourite colour?. It turned out very nicely. And it was very soft and tasty ??
Thank you for sharing such a nice receipes.
Take care bye…
I made this cake followed all the steps and resulted in a yummy cake. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipie
Welcome Shivali
Glad to know!
Super
Thank you
Hi its wonderful…. I wanna try with wheat flour…. Any changes will be there… Also how did u get that yellow color cake…. I don’t have any lemon orange zest.. Please help
Hi Srivani,
Yes you can use wheat flour but the flavor will be different. Usually kids don’t like wheat flour in cakes. However you may try. You may need 2 tbsps more water than what I mentioned in the recipe. I use yellow butter so the cake turns out yellow. If you use white butter the color will be lighter. Skip it if you don’t have. Hope this helps.
Yes I had posted twice. Sorry.
Yes you are right may be I overmixed the batter.. next time I will keep in mind. thank you for your reply.
Today I tried Vanila and chocolate cup cake with using pink colour in Vanila cup cake as my daughters favourite colour?. It turned out very nicely. And it was very soft and tasty ??
Thank you for sharing such a nice receipes.
Take care bye…
Really very yummy cake recipe….. I have made 2 to 4 times.
Thanks Shalini
Tried with all purpose flour… Tasted really yummm….
If we are using wheat flour, is there any change in the quantity of other ingredients?
Kindly advice…
Hi Cynthia
Glad it came out good. With wheat flour you need to add little more milk. Just to bring it to the right consistency. Check the video you will know better. Thanks for rating the recipe.
Hi swasthi,
Hope u are doing good….:) Thank you for this wonderful recipe…. The cake was fabulous with a soft and fluffy texture…my family really loved it….between I would like to try this cake with raisins as you noted in the intro… Can u guide me on the procedure…do we need to soak the raisins….!
Regards
Hi Sunitha,
I am doing good! Thank you!. I make this cake with larger sweet raisins. These are not the Indian variety. They are larger in size, taste sweet and not completely dry or hard like the Indian varieties. So they need not be soaked. Based on that I don’t think you need to soak. Soaking them may add more moisture to the batter. Not sure! I think you should try without soaking first. Have you checked this fruit cake. I suggest you check that since it is a healthier version made with wheat flour. You can also use jaggery. Hope this helps.