Sourdough Carrot Cake – (No-Wait Recipe)

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This sourdough carrot cake is a classic recipe adapted to include sourdough discard. The discard adds a touch of depth to the flavor, and I cut back slightly on the spice so the carrots and cream cheese icing can shine. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, this carrot cake will be an instant family favorite.

The first day of spring is a celebration in our home. Not only does it kickoff warmer days and gardening, but it also welcomes a new season of cooking and baking.

After the warming flavors of winter, spring welcomes a whole new array of bright recipes that can freshen up our baking repetoire.

This time of year, my absolute favorite baked treat is carrot cake. And this sourdough carrot cake recipe takes the cake (pun intended–and completely lame, I know).

Adapted from Sugar Spun Run’s carrot cake recipe, I added sourdough discard to create more depth in flavor, and I slightly reduced the nutmeg so that the carrots can steal the show. Additionally, I reduced the sugar in the icing to highlight the cream cheese.

This is a great recipe for celebrating spring—and the rest of the year!

Why you will love this recipe

Sourdough carrot cake is easy.

There are no fancy ingredients or techniques needed for sourdough carrot cake. As such, it is a classic recipe that uses simple ingredients. You can whip up the cake batter in just a few minutes. And it bakes in less than an hour.

This can be a no-wait recipe or a long-fermented recipe.

If you need a cake quickly, you can make this sourdough carrot cake with inactive discard. And you don’t have to worry about bulk fermenting your ingredients. However, if you want more sourdough flavor and/or the health benefits of fermented grains, you can long ferment the ingredients overnight.

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You can use up extra sourdough starter.

I fully believe that sourdough starter is a game changing ingredient for cooking and baking. But sometimes, I find myself with more discard than what I need. Instead of throwing it away, you can use it in this carrot cake recipe or in sourdough discard cinnamon rolls.

No sourdough experience needed!

You don’t have to know how to make sourdough bread to make sourdough carrot cake. The sourdough component comes from the added discard. So as long as you have starter, you can make sourdough carrot cake. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can learn how to make sourdough starter with just a few steps and a little time.

Watch How to Add Discard to Any Recipe in This Video

Tips for making sourdough carrot cake

• Grate the carrots in advance. Shred your carrots the night before baking. Even though this recipe is simple, prepping the carrots in advance makes it even easier. You can also use a food processor to shred your carrots. However, I have found that I prefer using a box grater over a food processor for grating the small amount of carrots needed in this recipe.
• Don’t use store-bought shredded carrots. The bagged, pre-shredded carrots are often dry, and the cake relies on some of the moisture from the carrots. Also, store-bought shredded carrots are too thick to bake in a cake. As such, the carrot flavor will be much better if you grate your own.
• Use either active or inactive starter. This recipe doesn’t rely on the starter for leavening. So feel free to use whatever starter you have, active or inactive.
• Let the cake cool before frosting. Allow the cake to come all the way down to room temperature before slathering on the cream cheese frosting. Otherwise, the icing will melt on the cake.
• Spice it up if you want. To highlight the carrots, I reduced the spices in this recipe. But if you want more nutmeg or prefer a touch of ginger, add it into the dry ingredients.
• Use a neutral oil – Generally, I prefer to bake with neutral oils. Oils with strong flavors, like olive oil, can distract from the other flavors in the cake. Vegetable oil will work. But I prefer the health benefits of avocado oil.

FAQs

Can I use sourdough starter from the fridge?

Yes! This recipe doesn’t rely on starter for rising, so your starter can be unfed and inactive. However, if it has been a while since you have fed your starter (if you see grey liquid on the top, for example), I recommend feeding it once or twice before baking.

Can you use a sugar substitute?

If you prefer skipping the white sugar, I recommend using a granulated type like coconut sugar. Maple syrup or honey, for example, may add too much moisture to this recipe.

What is the point of sourdough starter in cake?

For those who are gluten intolerant, adding starter and long fermenting the ingredients can make the grains more digestible (talk to your healthcare professional to see if this is a good option for you).

Additionally, when it comes to flavor, including sourdough starter adds more depth and a slight tang. Long fermenting can increase the sourdough flavor, though it is not necessary. This cake is delicious whether you use it as a no-wait discard recipe or a long-fermented recipe.

Incorporating starter into recipes is a great way to use up your discard and prevent food waste.

What does sourdough carrot cake taste like?

Sourdough carrot cake tastes like…carrot cake! It has an added touch of sourdough tang and a yummy bounciness in texture.

Can you make sourdough carrot cake in advance?

Yup! I recommend making it up to one day in advance. Any more than that, the cake may start to stale. But I often find that baked goods taste better the day after baking.

What is the best way to store leftover cake?

If you have leftover cake, store it in an air-tight container on the counter for 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for a month.

Tools You Will Need

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General Tools

• Large bowl – Use a large bowl for mixing the ingredients together. I like to use the bowl for my stand mixer so I can easily attach it if I need to.
• Whisk – A whisk is useful for mixing your dry ingredients together. Once you add the wet ingredients though, toss the whisk into the sink or dishwasher. Otherwise, the batter can get stuck in the middle of the whisk, and that’s super annoying. So just use it for the dry ingredients.
• Mixing spoon – Once you add in the wet ingredients, gently mix them in with a large spoon.
• Silicone spatula – Use your silicone spatula for scraping down the sides of the bowl when mixing the icing. I also like to use it to heap icing onto the cake. Most importantly, don’t forget to lick the spatula once you are done making the icing.
• Box grater – Shred your carrots on a box grater. For easy clean up, I like to put my shredder on a plate. That way, the shredded ingredients stay confined to the plate.
• 9″x13″ baking dish – Technically, you can use any baking dish suitable for cakes. However, since most folks have a 9″x13″ baking dish, it’s an easy go-to.
• Measuring cups and spoons – If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use your standard measuring cups.

Tools That Make Life Easier (but not necessary)

• Stand mixer or hand mixer – You will definitely want an electric mixer to make the icing (unless you have ripped arms). Also, once you add the oil and butter, the batter can be a little stiff until you mix in the eggs. If you find it to be challenging to mix, use your electric mixer on a low speed.
• Digital kitchen scale – Weighing your ingredients is more precise and will yield consistent results.

Sourdough Carrot Cake Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 265 g (2 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 200 g (1 cup) light or dark brown sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 150 g (3/4 cup) neutral oil (vegetable oil will work, but I recommend avocado oil)
• 113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter (melted, but not hot)
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter (active or inactive)
• 340 g (3 cups) carrots, peeled and shredded
• 125 g (1 cup) chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 226 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (brick-style, not spreadable)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 375 g (3 cups) powdered sugar

How to Make Sourdough Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9″x13″ cake pan or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Add the oil and butter. At this point, the batter can be somewhat stiff, so I like to switch to my stand mixer.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the eggs and mix one at a time. Be mindful to gently mix each egg in. You don’t want to overwork the flour.

Add the vanilla and sourdough starter. Mix until just combined.

Next, fold in the grated carrots and optional walnuts. For this, use a spoon or spatula, not your mixer.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Then, smooth it over and give it a jiggle to make sure the batter is level in the pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Allow to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, turn out the cake on to a wire rack, and cool completely to room temperature.

Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, combine the butter and cream cheese until creamy and without lumps.

Add the vanilla and salt. Then, mix until combined.

125 grams at a time (or 1 cup), mix in the powdered sugar. Scrape the sides of the bowl to get all of that sugary goodness mixed in!

Once your cake is room temperature, slather it with frosting.

How to long ferment this recipe

1. The day before you want to bake, mix together the flour, oil, butter, and sourdough starter. Allow it to sit out at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
2. The next day, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add to fermented dough.
3. Mix in remaining dry ingredients.
4. Fold in the grated carrots and optional walnuts.
5. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 45-50 minutes.
6. Make the icing per the original recipe. And slather it on your cake!

More Sourdough Recipes

• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
• Double Chocolate Sourdough Babka
• Chocolate Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Breadcrumbs That Work Every Time