Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Welcome back to Turnips 2 Tangerines. Today I have a special treat for you, Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a very special treat. I have been MIA here on the blog as of late. I have been busy though, in fact you can find me over at my YouTube channel where I’ve been spending a lot of time. If you know me at all, you are well aware of how I work. I get an idea in my head, toss it back and forth for awhile and then without looking, jump in with both feet.

The idea then turns into an obsession and it grows into a life of its own. What I once was afraid to do, I now can’t seem to get enough of:) I recently made a Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for my hubby. I’m not a usually a huge fan of carrot cake but after one bite of this super moist delicious cake, I have now been converted to a fan.

Carrot Cake, Hubby’s Favorite

I’ve wanted to make a sourdough carrot cake ever since I first saw this recipe in my ‘cookbooklet’ Simply Sourdough, The Alaska by Kathy Doogan. That was probably 8 years ago. Well, the time has finally come to give this recipe a try. Not only will I be making a recipe that I’ve wanted to try but my hubby will be absolutely delighted to know he can have a whole carrot cake too himself. Carrot cake is his all thyme favorite cake and something he’s been begging me to make since we got married some 25 years ago.

Made With

In my opinion, (probably everyone’s opinion who enjoys a slice of carrot cake will tell you) my favorite part of the cake is the cream cheese frosting. For some reason, cream cheese frosting goes perfectly with carrot cake. I mean, what other frosting would you use? Vanilla? Nope. Chocolate? Never. Cream cheese frosting was made for carrot cake and vice versa.  You might get away with some ice cream but all in all the classic and traditional frosting is cream cheese. There are several different recipes for cream cheese frosting but they all contain the same few ingredients:

  • cream cheese
  • butter
  • vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar
  • milk
The Carrot

Lets talk about the carrot part of this recipe, shall we. As I’ve stated above, I’m hardly an expert on the makings of carrot cake but it seems to me that there are a few requirements needed to make a good carrot cake. The carrots. In my humble culinary opinion to best carrots to use would have to be farm, fresh carrots (the kind you can find in the summer at farmers markets or roadside stands), are essential to a good carrot cake. Peel & grate the carrots right before adding to the batter. I even found a recipe online that called for using two jars of strained carrots baby food. Ahhh, no. This particular recipe calls for:

  • shredded carrots
  • sweetened coconut
  • crushed pineapple
  • chopped walnuts (which I omit)

There are many variations of carrot cake but this recipe for sourdough carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is by far the best I’ve ever had. The recipe is from a recipe cookbooklet that I’ve mentioned many time before. Simply Sourdough, The Alaska Way by Kathy Doogan. You can purchase her cookbooklet on Amazon.

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Here are a few of our Carrot Recipes 🥕

  1. Surprise Carrot Cake
  2. Carrot Raisin Sourdough Muffins
  3. Carrot Raisin Amish Friendship Bread
  4. Copper Pennies or Sweet and Sour Carrot Salad

Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A classic carrot cake recipe, topped with a classic cream cheese frosting that everyone loves!
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup fed sourdough starter
  • 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
  • 3 1/2 - 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Equipment

  • 13 x 9-inch pan

Instructions
 

  • Mix together oil and sugar. Add starter and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in pineapple, carrots, nuts, coconut and vanilla.
  • Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon; add to the starter mixture and blend well. Pour batter into greased and floured 13 x 9- inch pan.
  • Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.
  • Make Crean Cheese Frosting: Combine all ingredients together, beating until smooth, frost cake with frosting. Garnish with more chopped walnuts if desired.
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