Sourdough Carrot Cake Quick Bread Recipe
Yield: 1 loaf
Everything you love about carrot cake, now in a smaller size! This Sourdough Carrot Cake Quick Bread is ultra moist, tender, and packed full of shredded carrots, warm spices and chopped nuts or raisins if you like. Top it off with a luscious maple cream cheese frosting for a complete treat!
Ingredients
Sourdough Carrot Cake Quick Bread
- 180 grams all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams baking powder 1 teaspoon
- 6 grams baking soda 1 teaspoon
- 1 gram salt 1/4 teaspoon
- 3 grams cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 1 gram ginger 1/2 teaspoon
- 1 gram nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon
- 120 grams oil 1/2 cup
- 2 eggs yolks
- 210 grams light brown sugar 1 cup
- 80 grams sour cream 1/4 cup
- 4 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
- 200 grams grated carrots 2 cups, about 4 medium carrots
- optional chopped nuts or dried fruit about 1/2 cup
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 grams cream cheese, softened 4 ounces
- 28 grams unsalted butter, softened 2 Tablespoon
- 260 grams powdered sugar, sifted 2 cups
- 40 grams pure maple syrup 2 Tablespoons
- 2 grams vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan by greasing and lining it with parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.180 grams all-purpose flour, 4 grams baking powder, 6 grams baking soda, 1 gram salt, 3 grams cinnamon, 1 gram ginger, 1 gram nutmeg, 210 grams light brown sugar
- In a separate bowl, add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, sour cream, sourdough discard, and shredded carrots. Whisk until smooth.120 grams oil, 2 eggs yolks, 80 grams sour cream, 4 grams vanilla extract, 120 grams sourdough discard, 200 grams grated carrots
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this will lead to a dense quick bread.
- Add chopped nuts or raisins, if desired and fold into batter.optional chopped nuts or dried fruit
- Long-ferment: Once you’ve mixed the wet and dry ingredients together, cover the batter and place in the fridge overnight. The following day, pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake as normal.
- Pour the quick bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, then bake for 55-65 minutes. If you notice the top of the bread is getting too brown, cover it with aluminum foil. The quick bread is done when a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Transfer the quick bread on a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the meantime, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- To a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.This can also be done with a hand mixer. And for the best flavor, opt for pure maple syrup over pancake syrup.113 grams cream cheese, softened, 28 grams unsalted butter, softened, 260 grams powdered sugar, sifted, 40 grams pure maple syrup, 2 grams vanilla extract, pinch of salt
- Scoop the cream cheese frosting on top of the completely cooled loaf and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Helpful Tips:
- Shred your own carrots. If you’ve got extra carrots lying around, use them for this sourdough carrot cake bread. Pre-shredded ones are thicker and drier, so they don’t blend into the batter the same way. Fresh-shredded carrots add moisture and sweetness, which makes the loaf more tender.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Let your ingredients come to room temperature so the batter mixes evenly and bakes up without dense or gummy spots. Softened cream cheese also mixes smoother and keeps the frosting from getting lumpy.
- Make it your own with spices and mix-ins. Keep it simple or add chopped nuts, dates, raisins, or currants for extra texture and flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Sourdough Discard-I prefer to use fresh sourdough discard, no older than 2 days, for sweet recipes like this carrot cake quick bread. You can replace the discard with active sourdough starter, just be sure to use the same amount in grams.
- Leaveners- Double-check that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh and not expired. Otherwise, the bread will not rise and will turn out dense.
- Oil-Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil for the moistest bread.
- Carrots- I like shredding my own carrots because pre-shredded ones are usually thicker and drier, so they don’t soften as much in the loaf. Fresh-shredded carrots add more moisture and sweetness, which makes the bread more tender and flavorful.
- Mix-ins-This quick bread is completely customizable with your favorite mix-ins. Personally, I love adding chopped walnuts or pecans, but chopped dates, raisins, or currants would also be delicious. If you are adding raisins or currants, be sure to soak them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes, then drain and pat them dry before adding them to the batter. This allows them to be plump and soft. I would stick to a total of ½ cup of mix-ins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 4728kcal | Carbohydrates: 688g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 210g | Saturated Fat: 58g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 39g | Monounsaturated Fat: 100g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 610mg | Sodium: 3065mg | Potassium: 1533mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 500g | Vitamin A: 36657IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 825mg | Iron: 13mg
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