Sourdough Carrot Cake Babka (with cinnamon cream cheese frosting!)

This sourdough carrot cake babka is a soft, enriched sweet bread made with active sourdough starter, warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and layered with a rich brown sugar butter filling and real grated carrots for a perfectly moist, tender crumb.

Finished with a glossy simple syrup and luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this homemade babka recipe is the ultimate fusion of classic carrot cake and braided sourdough bread—perfect for brunch, holidays, or an indulgent bakery-style treat.

I’m clearly a fan of carrot cake recipes, as evidenced by my sourdough caramel carrot cake and my carrot cake sandwich cookies. And if you haven’t made this carrot cake sourdough loaf yet, you *must*!

But there’s something so fun about braiding it into a fancy loaf and having it still taste like carrot cake. This sourdough carrot cake babka is naturally fermented thanks to the active and bubbly sourdough starter and is so incredibly soft, fluffy, and flavorful.

This recipe is fun for the Easter season, but really, it’s lovely any time of year!

Ingredients

• Active sourdough starter – make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly–this is what will help this bread rise.
• Whole milk – any milk will work, but whole milk provides the richest, fluffiest dough.
• All-purpose flour – unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
• Eggs
• Salt
• Brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Ground nutmeg
• Grated carrot – make sure you pat these *very* dry! Carrots hold a ton of moisture and that will seep into your dough and prevent it from rising as it should. I pat my grated carrots with paper towels (and firmly press to ensure I get all that water out!)
• Vanilla extract
• Salted butter – if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon extra salt to the dough.
• Granulated sugar (for simple syrup)
• Cream cheese – softened to make it easier to cream the frosting
• Powdered sugar
• Milk – whole milk again–heavy cream also works well!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all dough ingredients except the butter. Mix on low to medium speed until the ingredients come together into a rough, shaggy dough, scraping down the sides as needed.

Incorporate the Butter

Add the softened butter gradually, one tablespoon at a time, making sure each addition is fully absorbed before adding the next. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for about 7 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Bulk Fermentation

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature until it has nearly doubled in size, about 5–8 hours. Warm, humid kitchens will speed up fermentation, while cooler spaces may take longer. For a slower rise, you can refrigerate the dough overnight.

Make the Filling

While the dough is fermenting, prepare the filling. Using a hand mixer, blend the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Roll and Layer

Once the dough has finished its first rise, roll it out into a rectangle approximately 10 inches long. Spread the prepared filling evenly over the surface, then sprinkle the grated carrots on top, making sure they’re patted dry to avoid excess moisture.

Shape the Babka

Carefully roll the dough lengthwise into a tight log. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes—this makes it easier to cut and braid without squishing the layers.

Braid the Dough

Remove the log from the fridge and slice it lengthwise down the center using a serrated knife.

Position the halves with the cut sides facing up, then gently twist them together to create a classic babka braid, keeping the layers exposed for a beautiful, textured finish.

finish braid

Finish braiding and press the ends of the braid of dough together.

Second Rise

Place the braided dough into a parchment-lined 9×5-inch loaf pan.

Cover and let it rise at room temperature until puffy and roughly 50% larger, which can take 1–4 hours depending on your kitchen.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the babka for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F.

Add the Simple Syrup

While the loaf is still warm, brush the top generously with simple syrup to give it a glossy, sweet finish.

Make the Frosting

Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar, then stir in milk a little at a time until you reach your preferred consistency.

Finish and Serve

Allow the babka to cool completely before spreading with frosting. Slice, serve, and enjoy the perfectly tender, spiced layers of your homemade sourdough carrot cake babka!

Helpful Tips for Making the BEST Sourdough Carrot Cake Babka

• Use an active, bubbly starter Your starter should be at peak activity (doubled, airy, and slightly domed) to ensure a strong rise and soft, fluffy texture.
• Pat the carrots completely dry Extra moisture from carrots can make the dough gummy and affect the swirl. Blot thoroughly with paper towels before adding.
• Don’t rush fermentation Sourdough is all about timing, not the clock. Let the dough rise until it looks puffy and nearly doubled—even if that takes longer than expected.
• Add butter slowly Incorporating butter gradually helps the dough develop proper gluten structure, resulting in a soft, enriched crumb instead of a greasy dough.
• Chill before shaping A quick chill makes the dough much easier to slice and braid cleanly, giving you those beautiful, defined layers.
• Keep the cut sides facing up when braiding This is the secret to that classic babka look—those visible swirls bake up into a stunning, bakery-style loaf.
• Watch the bake, not just the time Every oven is different. Use a thermometer and aim for an internal temp of 200–205°F for perfectly baked bread.

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Mixing bowls (various sizes)
• Hand mixer or whisk for filling and frosting
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale (for grams measurements)
• Rubber spatula or bench scraper
• Rolling pin
• Serrated knife
• Parchment paper
• 9×5-inch loaf pan
• Plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel
• Small saucepan (for simple syrup)
• Cooling rack

Storage

Storage

Store the sourdough carrot cake babka in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days due to the cream cheese frosting. For best texture, allow slices to come to room temperature or warm slightly before serving.

Freezing

To freeze, wrap the unfrosted or fully cooled babka tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then frost fresh (if desired) and warm slightly before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Looking for more sourdough brunch ideas? Try these!

• sourdough strawberry cream cheese buns
• sourdough brioche cinnamon rolls
• sourdough glazed donuts
• sourdough discard lemon pound cake

Sourdough Carrot Cake Babka with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This sourdough carrot cake babka is a soft, enriched sweet bread made with active sourdough starter, warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and layered with a rich brown sugar butter filling and real grated carrots for a perfectly moist, tender crumb. Finished with a glossy simple syrup and luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this homemade babka recipe is the ultimate fusion of classic carrot cake and braided sourdough bread—perfect for brunch, holidays, or an indulgent bakery-style treat.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Bread

Cuisine: European

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Fermentation: 12 hours hours

Total Time: 13 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 Servings

Author: Jamie

Ingredients

Dough

• ▢ 150 g active sourdough starter 2/3 cup
• ▢ 122 g whole milk room temperature (1/2 cup)
• ▢ 390 g all-purpose flour 2 3/4 cups
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature (2 large eggs)
• ▢ 6 g salt 1 teaspoon
• ▢ 53 g brown sugar 1/4 cup
• ▢ 3 g ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
• ▢ 1 g ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon
• ▢ 1 g ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon
• ▢ 25-30 g grated carrot patted very dry (1/4 cup)
• ▢ 5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• ▢ 113 g unsalted butter softened (8 tablespoons)

Filling

• ▢ 135 g brown sugar 2/3 cup
• ▢ 8 g ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon
• ▢ 0.5 g ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon
• ▢ 0.5 g ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon
• ▢ 113 g unsalted butter softened (8 tablespoons)
• ▢ 50-60 g grated carrots patted very dry (1/2 cup)

Simple Syrup

• ▢ 80 g water 1/3 cup
• ▢ 67 g granulated sugar 1/3 cup

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 57 g salted butter softened (4 tablespoons)
• ▢ 113 g cream cheese softened (4 oz)
• ▢ 3 g ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
• ▢ 5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• ▢ 120 g powdered sugar 1 cup
• ▢ 30-45 g whole milk 2–3 tablespoons, as needed

Instructions

Make the Dough

• Add all dough ingredients except the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• Mix on low to medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until a shaggy dough forms.
• Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing well between each addition.
• Increase to medium-high speed and knead for about 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
• Tip: Watch the dough, not the clock.

Bulk Fermentation

• Cover the bowl and let ferment for 5–8 hours, or until nearly doubled in size.
• If your kitchen is warm, it will rise faster; if cool, it may take longer.
• For a slower fermentation, refrigerate overnight.

Make the Filling

• In a bowl, use a hand mixer to combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until smooth.

Shape the Babka

• Roll the dough into a rectangle about 10 inches long.
• Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
• Sprinkle grated, patted-dry carrots evenly on top.
• Roll tightly lengthwise into a log.
• Chill for 30 minutes to make shaping easier.

Braid the Dough

• Slice the log lengthwise down the center using a serrated knife.
• Place the halves cut-side up.
• Cross one half over the other to form an “X,” then twist them together, keeping the cut layers facing upward for that signature babka look.

Second Rise

• Transfer to a parchment-lined 9×5-inch loaf pan.
• Cover and let rise until puffy and about 50% larger, 1–4 hours.

Bake

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F.

Simple Syrup

• Heat water and sugar together until dissolved.
• Brush over the warm babka immediately after baking.

Make the Frosting

• Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Add cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
• Mix until combined, adding milk as needed for desired consistency.

Frost and Serve

• Let cool completely before frosting.
• Slice and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 1780IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg

Calories: 576kcal

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