Completely made from scratch, this homemade sourdough carrot cake is absolutely delicious. Super moist with the perfect amount of spice, it’s topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting. This is one of our favorite cakes.
I’m always looking for ways to use up sourdough discard. I’m a firm believer that you should never just toss out your sourdough starter, but rather use it in a variety of different discard ways.
Why throw away good starter when you can make cake out of it? Am I right?
This sourdough carrot cake has all the classic carrot cake flavors and is topped with deliciously sweet cream cheese frosting. But wait – there’s a sourdough twist.
The sourdough not only adds another layer of flavor with the slight tanginess, but this recipe can also be long fermented so the grains are more broken down, making it easier to digest and the nutrients more bioavailable.
Also, this may be your kids’ new favorite way to eat carrots. I kid.
Why you will love this recipe:
Delicious: Super yummy spiced cake smothered in cream cheese frosting.
Can be long fermented: Struggle with eating non-fermented grains? No worries. You can ferment this recipe overnight so it is easier to digest.
Easy: It only takes a few minutes to mix this cake up for the oven. If you want to make it easier, put the carrots through the shredding blade on a food processor.
Sourdough Carrot Cake Making Tips:
- This cake can be made quick or long fermented for more health benefits.
- Grate carrots by hand and don’t use pre-shredded carrots. The pre-shredded carrots are too thick to bake nicely in cake.
- Active sourdough starter or sourdough discard will work for this recipe, since the sourdough isn’t used for rising, but rather for flavor and fermentation.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. If you don’t, you will be left with a melted soupy frosting mess.
- Ensure the baking powder and baking soda are fresh. If they have been sitting in the back of the cabinet for a while and are past their prime, then the cake won’t rise properly.
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FAQ
What does sourdough do for cakes?
It can help reduce the amount of gluten formation in the cake, which in turn helps the cake be more tender rather than tough and chewy. It can also add a depth of flavor to the cake with a wonderful, mild sourdough tang.
Can I use sourdough discard straight from the fridge?
Yes. As long as it has not been too long since feeding the starter, you can mix it up and use it.
Ingredients:
Eggs
Oil – Preferably a healthy oil, like melted coconut oil or avocado oil.
Sugar – White granulated sugar
Brown sugar
Sourdough starter– Active or discard. New to sourdough? Learn how to make your own sourdough starter here.
All-purpose flour
Leaveners – Baking powder and baking soda
Salt
Cinnamon
Carrots – 3 large carrots
Pecans
Tools you may need:
9×13 baking dish or cake pans
Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Sourdough Carrot Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with parchment paper.
Grate carrots and chop pecans. For easy grating, I suggest using a food processor with a grating attachment. A box grater will also do.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, white sugar, brown sugar, sourdough starter and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Try not to over mix.
Stir in carrots and fold in pecans.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated for 40 to 50 minutes.
Allow to cool before frosting.
Make It Long Fermented:
The Day Before:
Mix together oil, sourdough starter and flour. Cover and allow to ferment for 8-12 hours.
The Next Day
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla.
Add to fermented dough.
Sprinkle over remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
Fold in grated carrots and chopped pecans.
Pour into prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
To a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese and butter. Whip together for a few minutes.
Slowly pour in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
Whip until nice and fluffy.
Fold in chopped pecans (optional).
Variations:
- Swap out the pecans for chopped walnuts, pistachios, or sliced almonds.
- Add orange zest for a brighter take.
- Add raisins.
- Turn it into a trifle. Break up the cake and place in into a trifle dish, layering the cake with frosting. Yum!
- Make them into sourdough carrot cake cupcakes. Make the recipe as stated before, but place them into lined muffin tins and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Find More Delicious Cake Recipes:
- Delicious Sourdough Chocolate Cake
- The Best Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Vanilla Cake
- Gingerbread Cake With Einkorn Flour
- Lemon Sourdough Pound Cake
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup starter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups grated carrots, 3 large
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with parchment paper.
- Grate carrots and chop pecans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, white sugar, brown sugar, sourdough starter and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Try not to over mix.
- Stir in carrots and fold in pecans.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated for 40 to 50 minutes.
- Allow to cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- To a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese and butter. Whip together for a few minutes.
- Slowly pour in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
- Whip until nice and fluffy.
- Fold in chopped pecans (optional).
- Frost cooled cake.
Notes
- This cake can be made quick or long fermented for more health benefits.
- Grate carrots by hand and don’t use pre-shredded carrots. The pre-shredded carrots are too thick to bake nicely in cake.
- Active sourdough starter or sourdough discard will work for this recipe, since the sourdough isn’t used for rising, but rather for flavor and fermentation.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. If you don’t, you will be left with a melted soupy frosting mess.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic!!
Can you make for a multi layer round cake ?
I made this recipe when I was canning carrots – I used the peels. It was fantastic! Do you think I could use this recipe with apples instead of carrots? If so, how much apple?
Yes, you should be able to. I’d use the same ratio.
Made this long fermented for about 8 hours. We made cupcakes and mini cupcakes and didn’t use any icing to keep it low(er) sugar. Also didn’t have pecans on hand so I made it without. I want to add more spice to it but I’m not quite sure exactly what to give it an extra lunch if flavor. It was sweet and hit the spot but I feel like it’s lacking something. Perhaps it just needs to rest more overnight… I did eat it fresh out of the oven. lol
Great recipe to work for a base!
I have made this recipe twice now and yum! The second time I added crystalized ginger and pecans – so tasty and a great way to use discard!
The carrot cake I made with your recipe was amazing! So moist and flavourful, yet pretty easy too! Just one question. In the long 8+ hour fermentation case, are you sure the sourdough starter can work on the flour, given the presence of the oil? I’ve read elsewhere that oil inhibits the sourdough process. From a Quora thread:
“ Microbial Activity: The yeast and bacteria in a sourdough starter rely on sugars and moisture for growth. Oil can create a barrier that may hinder their access to these essential nutrients.”
It can inhibit the rising process, that is why baking powder and baking soda are used.
Is the nutrition listed for one serving or the whole thing?
One serving!
If I long-ferment it, do I not add the baking powder and baking soda the next day? Teh directions don’t include those 2 so I want to be sure.
You will still need to add those two. The long fermentation is just for the grains to be more easily digested.