Eggless Tutti Frutti Cake and Memories Galore

As I write this blog, it is raining outside. The sound of the pitter patter outside adds to the soothing cadence of the keys of my laptop and transports me to my childhood days when rain did not herald the coming of a migraine but the promise of pure adulterated joy. Like the parched earth, soaked in the downpour, we embraced the rain for it promised general uplifting of spirits in everybody. The daily drudgery was forgotten and out came the karahis for the pakoras. The sound of laughter became more abundant and previously crabby siblings shared your enthusiasm for the latest prank to be enjoyed in the rain. Tea was served and the pakoras disappeared at an alarming rate along with the requests for more ketchup.

While I am reminiscing about these golden days, culinary wise it is not the pakoras that tempted me more, rather it was the sweet melt in your mouth-tutti frutti cake slices or fruit cake as we called it back in India. A trip to the bakery was incomplete without purchasing it but then it's consumption was rationed much to my dismay. It was meant only for special occasions, the foremost being when "Guests" came which was a very broad term applied from the next door Aunty to out of state relatives. Still, the above mentioned wasn't much of a deterrent to my enterprising self which resulted in my being never in lack of their sampling.

Fast forward a few decades and my sugar love affair has definitely waned. The person who in charge of rationing is now me but the urge to partake sweet desserts does not inspire much yearning. As such, I was pleasantly surprised one day to be hit with a craving to eat tutti frutti cake. Since my childhood bakery was two oceans away and all locals ones being oblivious to that particular taste, decide to bake it myself. The internet is a wonderful resource and after a fruitful search decided to try the recipe from ravindershomecooking.com. Boy, was I glad that it did not disappoint me one bit. So, go ahead and give it a try if you are a fellow tutti frutti lover.

Ingredients-

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup yogurt

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup candied fruit or tutti fruitti

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp flour( for coating the tutti frutti)

1/2 cup cooking oil

Method-

Grease and flour a loaf pan while you pre heat the oven at 350 degrees F.

Next, take a bowl and add the thick yogurt to it followed by the sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

Wisk the mixture till you see bubbles and then set it aside for 5 minutes.

In another bowl, add the tutti frutti mixture and the 1 tbsp of flour .

Mix it so that the flour coats the tutti frutti completely, this will prevent it from settling at the bottom during the bake.

Take the yogurt bowl back again and to it first add pure vanilla extract, followed by oil and the salt.Mix it lightly.

Now, add the flour mixture, little by little till it is fully incorporated. The flour mixture needs to be sieved to ensure a proper rise,

Follow this by folding in the tutti fruti mixture, Do not overmix.

Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and level the top with a spatula.

Keep it in the oven for close to an hour or till a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let cool, cut into slices and enjoy with tea.