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–+ servings
Sourdough carrot cake recipe.

Sourdough Carrot Cake

Carmyn Suzor
This easy sourdough carrot cake recipe is incredibly moist and super delicious! Made with simple ingredients like flour, eggs, carrots, raisins, cinnamon, and pecans, it comes together quickly using leftover sourdough starter discard.
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

  • 2 8-Inch Cake Pans
  • Box Grater or Food Processor
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Electric Hand Mixer
  • Cooling Rack

Ingredients
 

Carrot Cake Batter

  • 2 ½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (125 grams) sourdough starter discard
  • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (200 grams) vegetable oil sub avocado oil or 2 sticks butter
  • 3 cups carrots grated
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup chopped pecans sub walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 sticks (226 grams) butter room temperature
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar

Optional Garnishes

  • ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions
 

Carrot Cake Batter

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Lightly grease two 8" cake pans with oil and cover the bottom of the pans with parchment paper (optional). Add a handful of flour to the pans and rotate the pans to coat with flour to prevent sticking. Shake out excess flour.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda and set aside.
  • In a medium-sized batter bowl, whisk 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup sourdough starter discard, and 1 cup vegetable oil on until fully combined.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir them together using a spatula until combined. Fold in 3 cups carrots, ½ cup raisins and ½ cup chopped pecans.
  • Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven, let cool for 20 minutes before transferring the cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 sticks butter, 16 oz. cream cheese, and 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, using an electric mixer until smooth. Add the 2 cups powdered sugar ⅓ at a time and beat until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Assembly

  • Arrange four pieces of parchment paper on a plate or cake stand positioned just beneath the edges of where the cake will sit. Place the first layer on the cake stand or plate, with the bottom facing up, and use a baking spatula to add about ⅓ of the cream cheese frosting to the cake. Then, use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly. (These two different spatulas will help minimize crumbs getting into the icing).
  • Place the second cake layer on top of the first, with the bottom side facing up. This creates an even surface for easier frosting and helps prevent crumbs from mixing into the frosting.
  • Add more cream cheese frosting to the top of the cake using the baking spatula. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle ¼ cup chopped pecans around the top edge of the cake.
  • Gently pull a piece of parchment paper from underneath the cake. Remove the remaining pieces of parchment paper from beneath the cake to reveal clean edges around the bottom.
  • Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set before slicing.

Notes

  • This recipe makes 18-24 cupcakes. Use cupcake liners and bake for 25 minutes.
  • Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Carrot Cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the slices individually in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 804kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 8gFat: 53g