Sourdough Carrot Cake
This sourdough carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is such a beautiful and delicious dessert. Loaded with carrots, warm spices, and pecans, this sourdough discard cake is full of flavor!
Classic carrot cake (like sourdough hot cross buns) always makes me think of spring, as it’s so perfect for this time of year. This would be a great cake to make for Easter or a spring gathering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great Use of Sourdough Discard: If you have leftover sourdough starter discard, this delicious sourdough carrot cake recipe will put it to good use!
- Delicious: The combination of carrots, warm spices like ground cinnamon and ginger, and classic cream cheese frosting make this the best carrot cake that everyone will love.
- Elegant: With the three cake layers, this is such an elegant sourdough dessert recipe.
Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Tips
- For the best results, make sure to use finely-grated carrots.
- You can use either sourdough discard or active sourdough starter in this recipe. Even if you use active sourdough starter, you’ll still need to add the baking soda and baking powder to help the cake to rise.
- For the vegetable oil, you can use any vegetable oil of your choice, or use avocado oil or melted coconut oil.
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Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Box Grater or Food Processor
- Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer
- 3- 8″ Round Cake Pans
- Offset Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Cooling Rack
- Cake Scraper
- Cardboard Cake Rounds
- Cake Lifter or Spatula
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sourdough Starter: This recipe uses sourdough starter discard or active sourdough starter. The baking soda and baking powder are the leavening agents, so sourdough discard is great here, but this will also work with active starter.
- Carrots: Freshly grated carrots are the star of this cake!
- Spices: Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are added for depth of flavor.
- Nuts: Unsalted pecans that have been toasted and chopped are perfect in this recipe, but you could also use walnuts in place of the pecans.
- Sugar: Both brown sugar and white sugar are included in the cake batter. The cream cheese frosting contains powdered sugar.
- Eggs: Four room-temperature eggs are used.
- Cream Cheese and Butter: To make the cream cheese frosting, you’ll need softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
How to Make Sourdough Carrot Cake
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making sourdough carrot cake:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line the bottoms of three 8” cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the measured flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together both sugars, sourdough discard, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure that all the ingredients are well mixed and there are no lumps.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until there is no remaining flour showing.
Step 3: Gently fold in the shredded carrots and pecans until fully combined.
Step 4: Combine all ingredients together, but do not overmix.
Step 5: Evenly distribute the cake batter into the three 8” cake pans and smooth to make sure that the batter is evenly spread throughout the pan.
Step 6: Bake on the center rack in your preheated oven for 20 minutes and then rotate your pans. Bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes in their pans on a wire cooling rack. After 30 minutes remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely on the cooling rack.
Frost the Cake
Step 7: To make the frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together the cream cheese and butter until there are no lumps and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix until it is incorporated.
Step 8: With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time until you have reached your desired consistency. You want the frosting to be able to hold its shape when you lift the paddle out of the bowl. If your frosting is too thin it will be hard to decorate your layered cake.
Step 9: When your cake layers are completely cooled, place one of the cake layers on top of a 10” or 12” cardboard cake round. I use a tiny dollop of frosting on the bottom of the cake to hold it in place on the cake round. The cardboard cake round allows you to frost your cake without getting your cake stand messy but is optional.
Step 10: Place half cup plus one tablespoon of frosting on top of the cake round and spread it around with an offset spatula so that it is even. Place the next cake layer on top making sure that it is sitting on top evenly. Put another half cup plus one tablespoon of frosting on top of the cake round and spread evenly.
Step 11: Now place your last cake layer on top making sure that it is even and all the layers are straight. Using your offset spatula spread any icing that has squeezed out from between the layers on the outside of the cake.
Step 12: Add more to the outside of the cake to fill in the gaps between the layers as well as the top and spread in a thin layer. You will be able to see your cake through the icing. This is your crumb coat and will help keep the cake crumbs from breaking off the cake when doing the outer icing layers. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to set the icing.
Step 13: Once the crumb coat is set you are ready to frost your entire cake. Using your offset spatula, completely cover all of the sides and top of your cake with frosting. Use the side of your spatula or a cake scraper to even out the frosting on the sides and then put into the freezer for 20 minutes.
Step 14: After 20 minutes, remove the cake from the freezer and add your final layer of frosting. Using your offset spatula cover the cake with frosting so that none of the cake shows through. If you would like a more naked/rustic looking cake, only use a small amount of frosting and spread so that some of the cake peeks through the frosting.
Step 15: Garnish the top of your cake with chopped pecans.
Step 16: Using a spatula or cake lifter, gently slide under your cake to remove it from the cardboard cake round. Gently set your cake on your cake stand. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
How to Store
Store cake in an airtight container or wrapped securely in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze individual cake slices wrapped in plastic wrap in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make the cake and freeze the individual layers for up to 3 months, but don’t make the cream cheese frosting until the day you plan to serve it.
How to Long-Ferment This Recipe
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oil, and sourdough starter. Cover the mixing bowl and allow to ferment overnight, or for up to 12 hours. The next day, add the rest of the ingredients and bake according to the instructions in the recipe.
Or, you can also mix up the whole recipe (minus the baking soda, baking powder, and pecans) and put the cake batter in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, allow it to come to room temperature while you preheat the oven and prepare your pans, add the baking powder and baking soda, fold in the pecans, put in pans, and then bake.
More Sourdough Recipes
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
- Sourdough Focaccia
- Easy Sourdough Pie Crust
- Sourdough Vanilla Almond Scones
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Sourdough Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Kitchen scale optional
- Box Grater or Food Processor
- Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer
- Cooling rack
- Cake Lifter or Spatula
Ingredients
Cake-
- 340 grams all purpose flour (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 250 grams light brown sugar (1 1/4 cups)
- 150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 125 grams sourdough discard (1/2 cup)
- 220 grams vegetable oil (1 cup + 3 Tbsp)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 200 grams grated carrots (1 1/4 cups)
- 112 grams unsalted pecans, toasted and chopped (1 cup)
Frosting-
- 2- 8 ounce packages full fat cream cheese softened
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter softened (113 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 660 grams powdered sugar (5 1/2 cups)
Garnish-
- Chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line the bottoms of three 8” cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together both sugars, sourdough discard, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure that all the ingredients are well mixed and there are no lumps.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until there is no remaining flour showing.
- Gently fold in the shredded carrots and pecans until fully combined. Do not overmix.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter into the three 8” cake pans and smooth to make sure that the batter is evenly spread throughout the pan.
- Bake on the center rack in your preheated oven for 20 minutes and then rotate your pans. Bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes in their pans on a wire cooling rack. After 30 minutes remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely on the cooling rack.
- To make the frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together the cream cheese and butter until there are no lumps and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and mix until it is incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time until you have reached your desired consistency. You want the frosting to be able to hold its shape when you lift the paddle out of the bowl. If your frosting is too thin it will be hard to decorate your layered cake.
- When your cake layers are completely cooled, place one of the cake layers on top of a 10” or 12” cardboard cake round. I use a tiny dollop of frosting on the bottom of the cake to hold it in place on the cake round. The cardboard cake round allows you to frost your cake without getting your cake stand messy but is optional.
- Place half cup plus one tablespoon of frosting on top of the cake round and spread it around with an offset spatula so that it is even. Place the next cake layer on top making sure that it is sitting on top evenly. Put another half cup plus one tablespoon of frosting on top of the cake round and spread evenly. Now place your last cake layer on top making sure that it is even and all the layers are straight.
- Using your offset spatula spread any icing that has squeezed out from between the layers on the outside of the cake. Add more to the outside of the cake to fill in the gaps between the layers as well as the top and spread in a thin layer. You will be able to see your cake through the icing. This is your crumb coat and will help keep the cake crumbs from breaking off the cake when doing the outer icing layers. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to set the icing.
- Once the crumb coat is set you are ready to frost your entire cake. Using your offset spatula, completely cover all of the sides and top of your cake with frosting. Use the side of your spatula or a cake scraper to even out the frosting on the sides and then put into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the cake from the freezer and add your final layer of frosting. Using your offset spatula, cover the cake with frosting so that none of the cake shows through. If you would like a more naked/rustic looking cake, only use a small amount of frosting and spread so that some of the cake peeks through the frosting. Garnish the top of your cake with chopped pecans.
- Using a spatula or cake lifter, gently slide under your cake to remove it from the cardboard cake round. Gently set your cake on your cake stand. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
