Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread

In a rush? You can skip straight to the Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread recipe at my Tumbr. Or you can jump to my Just the Basics section.

This month I had originally planed to share a caramelized onion and Gouda sourdough recipe with you. I have the recipe almost perfect down to the last gram. However, my timing and shaping are still presenting me with a bit of a challenge.

Because my artisan bread isn’t quite ready for its grand unveiling, I’m filling in the gaps with Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do – it’s definitely a fun one to make for the upcoming holidays.

Are You Ready for Easter?

The timing for this recipe couldn’t be more perfect. Easter is right around the corner, and with it comes an overabundance of carrots for the Easter bunny. To use up the extra carrots, I love making spiced carrot pecan bread.

But this year, I took my original recipe and revamped it to account for my excessive amounts of sourdough discard. The tangy flavor meshes beautifully with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and the cream cheese frosting transforms the bread into a luscious dessert.

Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread is the perfect loaf for when you want to hop away from the traditional chocolate bunny and bite into something with more zest.

Feel Free to Make Substitutions

Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread has a fun mix of spices and nuts, but you don’t have to stick to the original recipe as it is written. It’s a versatile loaf that works well with a variety of mix-ins.

For example, you could use white sugar instead of brown if you don’t want the subtle molasses flavor. Similarly, you could replace the pecans with walnuts if you prefer a stronger crunch. Do you have a nut allergy? You can skip the nuts altogether, or you could include the same amount of raisins or dried cranberries to give your bread a chewier texture.

If you do make some fun swaps, please share some of your ideas in the comment section below. I love seeing people get creative with my recipes, and your tips could make this loaf better than ever.

Time

Prep time:  15 Minutes
Rise time:  None
Cook time:  55-60 Minutes
Total time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes to 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Ingredients

Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread needs a few common ingredients;

• 150 Grams All-Purpose Flour (1 1/4)
• 161 Grams Brown Sugar (3/4 Cup)
• 2 Grams Baking Powder (1/2 Teaspoon)
• 4 Grams Baking Soda (1 Teaspoon)
• 1.5 Grams Salt (1/4 Teaspoon)
• 5 Grams Ground Cinnamon (2 Teaspoons)
• 1.2 Grams Ground Nutmeg (1/2 Teaspoon)
• 1 Gram Ground Ginger (1/2 Teaspoon)
• 0.2 Grams Cloves (1/8 Teaspoon)
• 226 Grams Sourdough Starter – Fed, Unfed, or Discard (1 Cup)
• 60 Grams Milk (1/4 Cup)
• 80 Grams Vegetable Oil (1/3 Cup)
• 8.4 Grams Vanilla Extract (2 Teaspoons)
• 1 Large Egg
• 137.5 Grams Carrots – Peeled and Grated (1 1/4 Cup)
• 54.5 Grams Pecans (1/2 Cup), Optional

If you’re interested, you can also make a cream cheese frosting:

• 224 Grams Cream Cheese, Softened (1 Block)
• 115 Grams Butter, Softened (1/2 Cup)
• 360 Grams Confectioners’ Sugar – Powdered Sugar (3 Cups)
• 1.5 Grams Salt (1/4 Teaspoon)
• 60 Grams Milk (1/4 Cup)

Of course, this bread is plenty sweet on its own!

Additional Equipment

If you want to make Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread, you’ll need the following kitchen tool

• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixing Spoons
• Kitchen Scale
• 9-inch by 5-inch Baking Pan
• Oven Mitts
• Wire Cooling Rack
• Electric Hand Mixer

Keep in mind that you don’t have to use these items exactly. I provide links to items I use and enjoy regularly in case you might be missing a measuring cup or a cooling rack. Also, the hand mixer is for the frosting – you don’t need it if you don’t plan to frost your bread.

To be transparent, I am an Amazon Associate, too. I receive a small commission on purchases made from affiliate links. This commission helps keep my site running, but I am not paid to review specific brands or products. My opinions remain my own.

Instructions

Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread is a quick bread, so you don’t have to wait around for it to rise. In fact, you don’t even have to knead the dough. Just whisk everything together, dump it in the pan, and then pop it in the oven. If you’re fast, you may even have your batter ready by the time your oven finishes preheating.

So let’s start with preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).

While your oven preheats, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour brown sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

Next, stir together your wet ingredients: sourdough discard, milk, vanilla extract, and egg.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until just moistened. Avoid over mixing, or your bread might sink in the middle.

Fold in the carrots and pecans (or other mix-ins). Again, don’t over mix.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9-inch by 5-inch bread pan. If you struggle with sticking, line the pan with parchment paper for easier removal after baking. Tap the pan a few times to help the batter settle.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. if you have a probe thermometer, the internal temperature should read between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 and 93 degrees Celsius). If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a toothpick. If the toothpick comes away clean, it’s done.

Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, use a butter knife to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan. Let the bread finish cooling directly on the wire rack.

If you’re making cream cheese frosting, feel free to make it now while your bread cools. Make sure your bread has cooled completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt off the loaf rather than sticking.

Just the Basics

Do You Enjoy Cream Cheese Frosting?

If you want your bread to taste more like carrot cake than carrot bread, be sure to include cream cheese (or buttercream) frosting.

Secrets to Success

Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread is an easy quick bread that even beginning baker’s can make. It doesn’t require any special skill or knowledge to go from start to finish.

However, quick breads can be a little finicky if you’re not careful. If you over mix your bread, your loaf may sink in the middle. The goal is to stir until just moistened, even if that means your bread has a few clumps here and there.

For best results, make sure all your ingredients are room temperature before baking. I used a sourdough starter straight from the fridge, and my loaf did not rise at all in the oven. The next time I used a room temperature starter, and my bread rose beautifully.

Nutritional Information

Are you on a special diet or trying to watch your weight? Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake Bread is tasty, but it has a lot of sugar and carbs.

Keep in mind that this information was calculated on 12 slices per loaf. If you cut your bread into thicker or thinner pieces, your nutritional information may vary.

Furthermore, this label does not account for ingredient substitutions. If you cut out pecans or swap for raisins, you’ll need to adjust your calorie estimation accordingly.

Did You Try It?

I love tweaking old recipes to create new ones, and I’m so glad that I have another fun way to use up my starter. But know what I love even more? Feedback!

If you tried my sourdough discard carrot cake bread, please leave a star rating or share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. Your input can help me make a good recipe into a great one, and your advice can help other bakers succeed.