Perfect Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist and spiced sourdough carrot cake made with active starter and fermented overnight for incredible flavor, texture, and gut-friendly goodness.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 9x9 inch square pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk or stand mixer
- Shredder
- Cooling rack
- Airtight container for storage
- Oven Mitts
Ingredients
Overnight Fermented Base:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sourdough starter
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup oil
Add the Next Day:
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups finely grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Day 1 – Mix and Ferment
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, milk, oil, and flour.
- Mix well to form a soft dough or thick batter.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap and let ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours.
Day 2 – Mix and Bake
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9x9” pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and smooth.
- Stir this wet mixture into your fermented dough until fully incorporated (use a hand mixer or spatula. Some lumps are okay).
- In another bowl, whisk together the spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add this dry mix to the batter and stir gently to combine. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in freshly shredded carrots and optional raisins, pecans, or orange zest.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy on medium speed.
- Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and pink of salt and beat until smooth and spreadable.
- Spread generously over the cooled cake for that rich cream cheese frosting finish.
Notes
-
If you want to make sourdough discard carrot cake, use unfed sourdough discard in place of active starter. Just skip the fermentation step and mix everything on the same day. It still adds moisture and a mild tang but won’t rise quite as much or have the added digestion benefits.