One-Bowl Sourdough Carrot Cake Recipe
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This one-bowl sourdough carrot cake is a classic recipe adapted to include a sourdough discard twist. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, it will be an instant family favorite. And because it is made in one-bowl, cleanup is a breeze.
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With its warmer days, blooming gardens, and fresh flavors, spring’s arrival feels like a celebration in our home and kitchen.
I love making the most of early harvests, especially when paired with sourdough: pop tarts with strawberry jam, lavender London Fog cookies, discard crepes with fresh berries, and my favorite this time of year—carrot cake.
Carrot cake cupcakes were the first treat my daughter and I baked together.
She was just a tiny 2-year-old then. Our recipe looked a little different because of her egg allergy (which she has since outgrown). But carrot cake still holds a special place in my heart.
This sourdough carrot cake is a spin on Sugar Spun Run‘s recipe.
I’ve added sourdough discard for extra flavor, scaled back the nutmeg to let the carrots shine, and reduced the sugar in the icing to highlight the decadent cream cheese.
Whether you’re welcoming spring, building springtime family memories, or just craving something sweet, this one-bowl carrot cake is always a winner!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Spring Flavors: This recipe is perfect for welcoming spring and all of its beautiful flavors.
- One Bowl: Using just one bowl makes cleanup simple. And I’m always here for easy cleanup!
- Easy: Sourdough carrot cake is a classic, no-fuss recipe with simple ingredients. The batter comes together in minutes and bakes in under an hour.
- Reduce Waste: Instead of tossing the discard from your feedings, use it up in easy discard recipes like carrot cake or even sourdough strawberry cake. (Ps. Here are 12 easy discard recipes you can try right now!)
Ingredients
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. If you want to swap all-purpose for fresh-milled wheat, use soft white wheat (and up to 1/2 cup more for fresh-milled).
- Carrots: The star of the show! Use fresh whole carrots, and grate them by hand.
- Sourdough Starter: Use active or inactive starter. Get my free sourdough starter eBook to learn more!
- Spices: Nutmeg and cinnamon give this carrot cake a classic flavor. I skip the cloves because my family doesn’t like it, but feel free to add a pinch.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese makes the icing decadent and delicious.
Get the full list of ingredients and measurements on the printable recipe card below.
Tools You Will Need
- Box Grater: Shred the carrots on a box grater. I usually shred mine on a plate for easy cleanup.
- Cake Pan: I use a 9″ x 13″ cake pan. But you can use any baking dish suitable for cakes.
- Stand Mixer: I prefer making the cake and icing in a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer.
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 it 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, butter, eggs, vanilla, and starter to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Using a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, fold in the grated carrots and optional walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth it over and give it a jiggle to ensure 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 onto a wire rack, and cool completely to room temperature.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
Clean the mixing bowl after making the cake.
In the same bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese until creamy and without lumps.
Add the vanilla and salt. Then, mix until combined.
Mix in the powdered sugar 125 grams at a time (or 1 cup). Scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all of that sugary goodness!
Once the cake is room temperature, slather it with frosting.
Tips for Success
- Hand-Grate the Carrots: A food processor can make the carrots watery, leading to soggy cake. It’s worth the extra few minutes to hand-shred the carrots.
- Use Fresh Carrots: Store-bought shredded carrots are often too thick and dry for homemade carrot cake. For best results, stick with freshly shredded whole carrots.
- Use 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: Allow the cake to cool all the way to room temperature before slathering on the frosting. Otherwise, the icing will melt.
Storing & Freezing
- Leftover sourdough carrot cake will store well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
- You can also freeze unfrosted cake in individual pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in a ziplock bag.
- To freeze frosted cake, freeze individual pieces uncovered on a plate. Once fully frozen, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store them in a ziplock bag.
How to Long Ferment Sourdough Carrot Cake
If you want more sourdough flavor and/or the health benefits of fermented grains, you can long ferment the ingredients overnight:
- The day before you want to bake, mix the flour, oil, butter, and sourdough starter. Allow it to sit out at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- The next day, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add to fermented dough.
- Mix in remaining dry ingredients.
- Fold in the grated carrots and optional walnuts.
- Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Make the icing per the original recipe. And slather it on your cake!
FAQs
Yes! Since this recipe doesn’t use the starter for leavening, you can use your starter straight from the fridge. I do this all of the time.
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.
Check out this post to learn how to store starter in the fridge.
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).
Plus, it’s an easy way to use up discard and a little tangy flavor to your cake.
You can turn most recipes into discard recipes. Check out this post to learn how to add discard to any recipe.
I haven’t tried this, but liquid sweeteners may add too much moisture to the cake.
Yes! 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.
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One-Bowl Sourdough Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 265 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 200 g dark brown sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 150 g avocado oil
- 113 g unsalted butter, melted not hot
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 100 g sourdough starter, active or inactive
- 340 g carrots, peeled and shredded
- 125 g chopped walnuts, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 g unsalted butter, softened
- 226 g cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 375 g powdered sugar
Instructions
CARROT CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9"x13" cake pan or line it 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.265 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour, 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar, 200 g (1 cup) dark brown sugar, 1.5 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add the oil, butter, eggs, vanilla, and starter to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.150 g (3/4 cup) avocado oil, 113 g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 100 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter
- Using a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, fold in the grated carrots and optional walnuts.340 g (3 cups) carrots, 125 g (1 cups) chopped walnuts
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth it over and give it a jiggle to ensure 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
- Clean the mixing bowl after making the cake.
- In the same bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese until creamy and without lumps.113 g (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, 226 g (8 oz) cream cheese
- Add the vanilla and salt. Then, mix until combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Mix in the powdered sugar 125 grams at a time (or 1 cup). Scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all of that sugary goodness!375 g (3 cups) powdered sugar
- Once the cake is room temperature, slather it with frosting.
Notes
- A food processor can make the carrots watery, leading to soggy cake. It’s worth the extra few minutes to hand-shred the carrots.
- Store-bought shredded carrots are often too thick and dry for homemade carrot cake. Stick with freshly shredded whole carrots for best results.
- This recipe doesn’t rely on the starter for leavening. So feel free to use whatever starter you have, active or inactive.
- Allow the cake to cool all the way to room temperature before slathering on the frosting. Otherwise, the icing will melt.
I used the fermented method. Spiced it up with added ground nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Baked it for 40 minutes but needed another 5 because it fell in the middle. The cake is moist and delicious. I did not add the icing as the cake already had 2 cups of sugar and it was very good as is.
If I were making for company I would add the icing with a couple of Tbls of maple syrup.
All in all very good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for sharing your adjustments/changes. That’s really helpful for others checking out and making the recipe! ❤️
-Rebecca
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I chose the fermented method, and let me say that the tanginess compliments the sweetness of the cake so well. The cake is perfect without the frosting, but the frosting it takes it to the top. I bet with would also be amazing with some orange zest.
I’m so glad you loved it! It’s one of our family favorites, especially this time of year. I agree that orange zest would be amazing. Thank you for sharing!
-Rebecca