Sourdough Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

When the time of year rolls around for chocolate eggs and bunny-shaped everything, let's not forget the real star of Easter bakes-Sourdough Carrot Cake. Packed with warm spices, a hint of tang from sourdough, and just the right amount of sweetness, it's the sweet treat that deserves a spot on your springtime table.

Jump to:

• Probably The Best Carrot Cake Ever 
• Ingredient Notes
• Step-By-Step Method
• Decorating Ideas
• Storage
• More Sourdough Easter Recipes
• Sourdough Carrot Cake

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Probably The Best Carrot Cake Ever 

This is probably the best carrot cake in the world - no exaggeration. Why? 

• First, that classic cream cheese frosting gets an upgrade with honey, making it the dreamiest, silkiest topping you'll ever taste. 
• Then there's the cake itself: ultra-moist, packed with a depth of flavour thanks to leftover sourdough discard, and totally customisable - switch up the nuts, swap the sultanas for chopped dates, go wild. 
• Make it into Sourdough Carrot Cupcakes!
• And the best part? Using sourdough culture in the cake batter means this great recipe stays fresher for longer, so you can sneak a slice for breakfast the next day. Just like our Sourdough Courgette Cake!

If you love carrot cake flavours, try our Carrot Cake Porridge for breakfast next!

Ingredient Notes

Ready? Here's everything you will need to make this sourdough carrot cake recipe!

For Sourdough Carrot Cake

• sourdough discard: can be replaced with active sourdough starter. Use 100% hydration starter. 
• egg: two eggs need to be separated into egg white and egg yolks, another one can be left whole. We used large eggs. 
• caster sugar: or granulated white sugar. 
• neutral oil: like sunflower or vegetable oil. We tried it with olive oil, but its strong flavour clashed with the warm spices. 
• plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour. 
• baking soda: also known as bicarbonate of soda.
• baking powder.
• spices: we used ground cinnamon and mixed spice, but you can use pumpkin pie spice or a mixture of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. 
• fresh carrots: coarsely grated. 
• pecans: or walnuts. 
• desiccated coconut. 
• sultanas or raisins: can be replaced with currants, chopped prunes or apricots. 
• salt. 

For Cream Cheese Icing

• unsalted butter: softened. 
• icing sugar: a.k.a. powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar. 
• honey: may be replaced with maple syrup. 
• a drop of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (optional). 
• cream cheese: full-fat, at room temperature. 

Find all the ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

A Note On Sourdough Discard

Not all sourdough discard is created equal! If yours has been sitting in the fridge for weeks, smelling extra sharp with a layer of hooch on top, it's best to skip it-unless you want a sourdough carrot cake that's more tangy than tasty. Fresh discard (from the last few days) works best, but if you've got an active starter bubbling away, you can use that too.

We use discard in all sorts of cakes, from Sourdough Pineapple Upside Down Cake to Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake and more. And if you're looking for more ways to use up your discard, check out my other sourdough discard recipes below!

Equipment Used

• Cake pans - One deep 18cm (7in) tin or two sandwich tins, depending on how you like to layer.
• Box grater or a food processor with a shredding blade.
• Hand mixer - we use Kenwood Handheld Electric Mixer. 
• Mixing bowls - At least three: one for the batter, one for dry ingredients, and one for whisking those egg whites to stiff peaks.
• Baloon Whisk & spatula. 
• Baking paper & cooling rack. 

Step-By-Step Method

Step 1: Make The Sourdough Carrot Cake Batter

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line the base of either 1x 18cm (7in) springform cake tin or 2x 18cm (7in) sandwich cake tins with a round piece of parchment paper. This will prevent the bottom of the cake from sticking. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk one whole egg, 2 egg yolks, sugar and sourdough starter together. Set the remaining two egg whites aside.

3. Little by little add the oil, and keep whisking until it's fully incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just enough to combine.

6. Add the grated carrots, pecans, coconut and sultanas and mix again to incorporate.

7. In a separate large bowl, whisk reserved egg whites to stiff peaks.

8. Mix the egg whites gently, ⅓ at a time, attempting to keep some of the air in the mixture.

Step 2: Baking & Cooling

1. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin (or divide it between two sandwich cake tins), and place in the preheated oven - 30 minutes for sandwich sponge tins, and about 50-55 minutes for one cake.

2. Once baked, a wooden skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.

3. Leave the cakes to cool down and firm up in the tins for 15-20 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the edge of the tin, and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool down completely.

Step 3: Cream Cheese Frosting

1. When your carrot cake has cooled down to room temperature, prepare the frosting.

2. In a medium bowl or a large jug, beat the softened butter, icing sugar and honey using an electric handheld mixer until very light and fluffy. TIP: start on low speed to prevent the icing sugar from going everywhere!

3. Add ⅓ of cream cheese and beat again until smooth and well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure no butter is clinging to the sides.

4. Add the rest of the cream cheese and beat again until you have a smooth creamy frosting. If it's not holding shape, a short chill time will help with consistency before spreading.

5. If you baked one tall cake, cut it in two. You may choose to spread half of the cream cheese frosting in the middle and half on top, or go for an all-over approach.

Decorating Ideas

When it comes to decorating this delicious cake, I like to keep things simple and stick to the add-ins that are already inside-it just makes sense! Here are three easy ways to finish it off:

• Rustic & simple - Smooth the frosting over the cake and sprinkle a handful of chopped pecans on top for a no-fuss finish.
• Fancy swirls - Pipe the frosting in swirls around the edges and scatter over some extra add ins like sultanas and coconut.
• Extra crunch - Press crushed pecans around the sides of the cake for a professional-looking finish with a bit of texture.
• Roll thin slices of carrot - looks fun, but not entirely sure people will want to eat them 🙂

Storage

Thanks to the addition of sourdough, this sourdough discard carrot cake stays fresh for longer than your average sponge-but let's be real, it probably won't last that long! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Want to make it ahead? That's a great idea! Bake the cake layers, let them cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready, thaw at room temperature, whip up that dreamy frosting, and decorate-it's a great way to get ahead on your Easter baking!

More Sourdough Easter Recipes

If you're looking for more Easter sourdough recipes to impress the whole family this season, you're in the right place! Try our Sourdough Pane Di Pasqua (Italian Easter Bread) and Sourdough Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with Cherries. Here are some more delicious bakes to add to your holiday spread.