Easy Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This sourdough carrot cake recipe is my favorite, and is sure to become one of your favorites too! It's perfectly MOIST and sweet, loaded with carrots, seasoned with cinnamon, and topped with irresistible real cream cheese frosting!

Sourdough carrot cake is a delightful twist on a classic dessert, perfect for Easter or any time of year! You make this cake with either  a short or long fermentation process. 

The addition of sourdough starter not only adds  depth of flavor, but it gives this cake extra moisture AND reacts with the baking soda for fluff!

I hope you enjoy this delicious sourdough carrot cake recipe as much as I do! It's a great recipe to use up your leftover sourdough discard and create a moist, flavorful cake that the whole family will love.  I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.  Leave a review and let us know how yours turned out!  

Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or substitute half for whole wheat flour.
• 2 teaspoons baking soda - Baking soda reacts with the sourdough starter to make this cake extra fluffy!
• 1 cup active sourdough starter (or sourdough discard works too!)
• ½ teaspoon fine ground salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon powder.
• 1 cup olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil, or avocado oil.
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated white sugar.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups grated carrots (about 5-6 medium carrots). Grate your own for a finer grated carrot... Store bought grated carrots are thicker;)
• Optional - 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 16 ounces room temperature cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional - 1 cup pecans (whole or chopped)

Instructions

For the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the oven rack in the center position. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

Grate carrots into a large mixing bowl.

Short Fermentation: Add all cake batter ingredients (including baking soda) to the bowl with the carrots and stir until well incorporated. There should be no dry flour visible.

Long Fermentation (Optional): Combine all ingredients except the baking soda in the bowl with the carrots. Mix well and let the batter ferment in the refrigerator overnight. Before baking, add the baking soda and stir to combine.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and place them directly on a flat surface, or wire rack, in the freezer. Let the cakes cool completely in the freezer while you make the frosting. Placing cakes directly intot he freezer stops the cooking process and helps hold in moisture!

Cream Cheese Icing

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth.

Slowly beat in the cold heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until the frosting reaches desired consistency.

Assembly

Once the cakes are cool, remove them from the freezer and frost the top of one cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake.

Decorate with additional chopped pecans, if desired.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans, or place whole pecans on top, if desired.

Tips

• For a richer flavor, use brown butter instead of olive oil. To brown butter, melt it in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Let it cool slightly before using.
• You can substitute other chopped nuts for the pecans, such as walnuts or almonds.
• If you don't have heavy whipping cream, you can substitute milk, but the frosting will be thinner.

Notes

• To save time, you can use pre-shredded carrots, but fresh carrots grated with a box grater or food processor using the shredding blade will provide the best flavor and texture.
• For a richer cake, consider using brown butter instead of vegetable oil.
• This recipe is written for two cake pans. If you only have one pan, simply double the bake time and check for doneness with a toothpick.
• Feel free to use a stand mixer on medium speed to combine all the wet and dry ingredients.
• Looking for a healthier option? Try substituting whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour!

Storing Leftover Sourdough Carrot Cake

This delicious cake is sure to be a hit, but there's a good chance you'll have some leftover slices. No worries! Sourdough carrot cake stores beautifully thanks to its moisture content. Here's how to keep your leftover cake fresh:

• Tightly wrap: Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
• Store in an airtight container: For even better protection, place the wrapped cake in an airtight container. This will help prevent the cake from drying out or absorbing any unwanted fridge flavors.
• Room temperature or refrigerator: You can store leftover sourdough carrot cake at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freeze for longer storage: For longer storage, the cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? These sourdough cakes are a great way to use up discard: Sourdough zucchini bread, sourdough banana bread, sourdough chocolate cake, and sourdough carrot cake muffins – all made with our favorite fermented starter!

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If you tried this recipe, I’d love a 5 star review! Let me know how it turned out in the comments or review... And tag me on Instagram with a picture of yours!