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Sourdough carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, in soft focus, creating a dreamy effect that emphasizes the texture of the cake and the creamy frosting on a white plate with a grey cloth in the background.
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Sourdough Carrot Cake Recipe

Easy to make, super moist, and topped with the best cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Carrots, Easter, sourdough carrot cake, Sourdough Discard
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 623kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • 9 x 13 baking dish

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup sourdough starter discard/unfed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup canned crushed pineapple drained
  • 2 cups carrots grated
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

  • 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 9 ounces butter melted
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • pinch salt if using unsalted butter
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tablespoons milk or cream adjust if frosting is too thick

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
  • Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together the vegetable oil and white sugar. Incorporate the sourdough starter gently. .
    A bowl of creamy batter with an electric mixer's beaters lifted above, showing the thick consistency ideal for carrot cake.
  • Add Eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
    A bowl of cake batter with an electric mixer's beaters, now colored yellow from the added eggs.
  • Add Fruits and Carrots. Reduce mixer speed and mix in the grated carrots, drained crushed pineapple, and golden raisins.
    The same bowl of cake batter with freshly grated carrots and golden raisins added, next to the mixer's beaters.
  • Dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
    The batter fully mixed, showing a thick consistency with carrots and raisins throughout, ready to be baked.
  • Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
    A freshly baked carrot cake in a glass baking dish, with a golden-brown top, just out of the oven.
  • Make the Frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt (if using unsalted butter), beating until smooth. If necessary, thin with milk or cream to reach desired consistency.
  • Frost the Cake. Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top.
    A container of homemade strawberry ice cream with scoops taken out, showing a creamy pink texture with visible strawberry pieces.

Notes

For 2 cups of grated carrots, you would typically need about 4 to 5 medium-sized carrots.
Store any frosted leftovers in the refrigerator and unfrosted cake at room temperature. The unfrosted cake can also be frozen for up to a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 3260IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg