We’ve made this delicious sourdough whole wheat carrot cake a few times now and it is absolutely delicious as both carrot cake and zucchini cake!
In these quarantine times, we have been baking primarily with sourdough and whole wheat flour since flour was scarce and we bought a giant bucket of wheat berries for home-milled flour.
And, when we got an abundance of carrots in our veggie box, it was the perfect breakfast treat to make. The next week we received eight large zucchini. And while I love it, the kids aren’t fans of zucchini at all.
So, when I told them I would be making their favorite carrot cake with zucchini instead of carrots, they were skeptical to say the least. And, to be fair, I was a little skeptical of being able to to just swap it in without any changes. But, I gave it a shot and it worked out marvelously. The only change was a slightly longer baking time, with the zucchini version taking 55 minutes versus the usual 45 for the carrot.
So, whether you have an abundance of carrots or zucchini from a veggie box, your garden or your wholesale club, choose either cake and have a yummy dessert or breakfast cake for the whole family. This 24-serving beauty lasts us nearly a week.
We use a mix of craisins, black currants and walnuts for the mix-ins, but you can use whatever dried fruit and nut mixture you have on hand.
Try these other delicious zucchini cake and carrot cake recipes, too: citrusy carrot cake, chocolate zucchini cake, carrot spice muffins and chocolate zucchini black bean cupcakes.
Sourdough Whole Wheat Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
400 grams sugar
260 ml olive oil
3 eggs, room temperature
240 grams sourdough starter discard
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
210 grams whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon chai spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
300 grams grated carrots or zucchini
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
75 grams dried cranberries
75 grams dried currants
120 grams chopped walnuts
For the Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
fat pinch of fine sea salt
For the Toppings:
coconut shreds and food coloring (optional)
Method
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or glass dish with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla.
Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until light yellow and slightly thickened.
In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients: flour, chai spice, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture; mix on low speed.
Wash, peel, and grate the carrots or zucchini with a box grater.
Combine the carrots or zucchini with 1 tablespoon of flour; mix well.
Add the carrots to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula.
Add the craisins, dry currants and walnut pieces and fold in.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the cake on the center rack for 40 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. The zucchini version tends to take 55 in my oven, due to the increased moisture. Carrot cake is usually done in 40-45.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack, if desired, and cool completely before frosting and decorating.
For the Frosting:
In a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese.
Sift the powdered sugar directly over the bowl.
Add the salt.
Mix on medium-low speed until light and creamy. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Spread the frosting across the cooled cake with a rubber spatula.
Cut cake into 24 even pieces, serve, and refrigerate for up to a week.
Sourdough Whole Wheat Carrot Cake
We've made this delicious sourdough whole wheat carrot cake a few times now and it is absolutely delicious as both carrot cake and zucchini cake!
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 400 grams sugar
- 260 ml olive oil
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 240 grams sourdough starter discard
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 210 grams whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon chai spice
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 300 grams grated carrots or zucchini
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
- 75 grams dried cranberries
- 75 grams dried currants
- 120 grams chopped walnuts
- For the Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- fat pinch of fine sea salt
- For the Toppings:
- coconut shreds and food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla.
- Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until light yellow and slightly thickened.
- In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients: flour, chai spice, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture; mix on low speed.
- Wash, peel, and grate the carrots or zucchini with a box grater.
- Combine the carrots or zucchini with 1 tablespoon of flour; mix well.
- Add the carrots to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula.
- Add the craisins, dry currants and walnut pieces and fold in.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake on the center rack for 40 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. The zucchini version tends to take 55 in my oven, due to the increased moisture. Carrot cake is usually done in 40-45.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Remove to a wire rack, if desired, and cool completely before frosting and decorating.
- For the Frosting: In a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese.
- Sift the powdered sugar directly over the bowl.
- Add the salt.
- Mix on medium-low speed until light and creamy. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
