This is a delicate, just-sweet enough carrot cake made with sourdough discard. The cake is topped with a lighter, better cream cheese frosting made with cream cheese straight from the fridge. There is no need to let it come to room temperature for this whipped cream cheese frosting. This is a very unfussy version of a carrot cake and (in my opinion) it is a perfect snacking cake.

This carrot cake is a more approachable single-layer cake (made in one bowl!) topped with an easy whipped cream cheese frosting. The cake itself reminds me more of a coffee cake and is honestly very good on its own. This recipe is fairly easy to whip together once you have grated your carrots, which is an annoying task. I typically just use a box grater, but you could use a food processor as well.

Any carrot dessert needs a cream cheese frosting. When I discovered this cream cheese frosting recipe I knew it would be so delicious with it. This frosting is a very easy whipped cream cheese frosting that is just sweet enough. It’s made with cream cheese straight from the fridge, which blew my mind. I thought for sure it would be plagued with gritty lumps of cream cheese, but I was wrong. Because this recipe uses sugar instead of powdered sugar, it helps to break down the cream cheese so there are no lumps. And because there is no butter involved, it is a much lighter frosting than most.

I like to add sourdough discard to pretty much anything I bake. I’m always accumulating sourdough starter in my fridge and I’m not letting it go to waste. The sourdough discard makes baked goods more tender and delicious.

sourdough discard carrot cake

This is a delicate, just-sweet enough carrot cake made with sourdough discard. The cake is topped with a light and fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting. This is a very unfussy version of a carrot cake and (in my opinion) it is a perfect snacking cake.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (165g) shredded carrots, 2-3 large carrots
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (113g) butter, melted (1 stick)
2 eggs
1/4 cup (62g) sourdough discard
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (120g) cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (75g) chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans (optional)
whipped cream cheese frosting
1 block of cream cheese (8oz), cold
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
3/4 cup (187g) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
Grate carrots using a box grater or food processor and set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add sugar, melted butter, eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine, about one minute.
Whisk in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix until the flour is just starting to combine. Fold in grated carrots and chopped nuts.
Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and transfer to the oven on a baking sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack before frosting.
whipped cream cheese frosting
In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese and sugar. Beat until cream cheese is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add heavy cream, vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), and salt. Beat again until whipped, about one to two more minutes. It will be light and fluffy when it’s done.
Once the cake has thoroughly cooled down, top it with the whipped cream cheese frosting and spread with an offset spatula. Frost the cake to your desired aesthetic. I like to decorate with swirls made from the back of the offset spatula.