Sourdough Carrot Cake
A soft, perfectly spiced carrot cake with a subtle sourdough twist, topped with rich cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts. If you love carrot cake, this version takes it to the next level!
Why use sourdough in carrot cake? The natural acidity in the starter deepens the flavor, enhances the spices, and creates an unbelievably moist crumb. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to use up sourdough discard—because your starter deserves more than just bread!
This cake is perfect for Easter, birthdays, or whenever you need a cozy, spiced dessert that feels a little nostalgic and a lot delicious.
Adding sourdough discard isn’t just about reducing waste—it actually makes the cake better!
- Creates a tender, moist crumb – The acidity in sourdough keeps the cake soft without making it dense.
- Enhances the spices – A subtle tang balances the sweetness, making the warm cinnamon and ginger shine.
- Adds incredible depth of flavor – It won’t taste “sour,” just richer and more complex.
Want a stronger sourdough flavor? Use discard that has been stored in the fridge for a few days. Prefer a milder taste? Use freshly fed starter!
After trying this carrot cake, make sure you try adding sourdough discard to other cakes, too! My favorites are sourdough chocolate cake (its so rich and decadent!) and sourdough vanilla cake. Trust me, they are SO much better than the boxed stuff!
Why you’ll love this recipe
✔ Soft, moist, & perfectly spiced – The ideal balance of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
✔ Easy to make – Simple steps, no complicated techniques.
✔ Topped with cream cheese frosting – Because carrot cake isn’t complete without it!
✔ Perfect for any occasion – A holiday dessert or a cozy weekend bake.
How to make carrot cake with discard
This simple, no-fuss cake comes together in just a few steps. Here is a brief overview of the recipe so you know what to expect. For the full set of written directions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep your ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- Line with parchment paper for easy removal (optional but recommended).
- Grate the carrots finely and press out excess moisture with paper towels.
Step 2: Make the batter
- In a stand mixer, beat together wet ingredients for 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Toss the grated carrots with 1 tablespoon of the dry mixture—this helps them distribute evenly in the cake.
- Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
- Fold in the carrots and 1 cup of chopped walnuts (save the rest for topping).
Tip: Overmixing can make the cake dense—stir just until combined for the best texture!
Step 3: Bake the cake
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
How to make the frosting
A rich, creamy frosting is the perfect match for this spiced cake!
- Beat softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, a splash of milk, and a pinch of sea salt.
- Mix until light and spreadable.
- Spread over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.
Storage Tips
✔ At Room Temperature: Store covered for up to 2 days.
✔ In the Fridge: Keeps well for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
✔ Freezing: Freeze slices (without frosting) for up to 3 months. Thaw, frost, and enjoy!
Tip: If refrigerating, let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Sourdough is better when shared
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below.
Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this recipe, please link to the post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thank you so much for supporting me. XOXO – Jenni
Sourdough Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Prepare a 9×13 pan by smearing all the edges and corners with butter. I liked to add a piece of parchment paper on top of this, and butter that, as well. This is an extra step, but helps if you want to pull the whole cake out of the pan easily.
- Grate the carrots on the smallest hole of your box grater. Place the shredded carrots in between two sheets of paper towel, and place a plate on them to help squeeze out any excess liquid.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar, olive oil, eggs, applesauce, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until it is all combined well. This step adds some air bubbles into the batter, so don’t skip it.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the carrots with 1 Tablespoon of the dry ingredients mixture and toss to coat. This helps your carrots to evenly distribute in the cake batter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the carrots and 1 cup of chopped walnuts (save the over cup for decoration after frosting).
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth out to make sure its even in the pan.
- Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake does not jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- Cool the cake in the pan completely.
- When the cake has completely cooled, you can mix the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese and mix until it is soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk , and a pinch of sea salt.
- Mix on medium speed until combined and fluffy.
- Frost over the cake.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chopped walnuts over the frosting.