Sourdough Carrot Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce

This sourdough carrot cake uses active sourdough starter for a long-fermented dessert. It’s layered with a homemade caramel sauce and caramel cream cheese frosting. This recipe is nut-free, though you’re welcome to add pecans or walnuts to the batter or as decoration. This cake is insanely moist and packed with that classic carrot cake flavor!

Oh my gosh, I love this carrot cake recipe–cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, freshly shredded carrots, and homemade caramel make this sourdough cake unique and the flavor an absolute delight.

This fluffy three-tier cake is set together between layers of caramel and a caramel cream cheese frosting. Heavenly.

This recipe uses active sourdough starter, which means you need to make the batter the day ahead of time and let it long-ferment in the fridge overnight if you want all the fermented goodness.

However, I also tested it using sourdough discard and made the cake the same day. It turned out beautifully both ways, so if you’re short on time, this could be a sourdough discard carrot cake and still taste incredible.

This cake is a cinch to make. Honestly, the hardest part was shredding the carrots by hand (it’s safe to say arm day was taken care of in the making of this cake). But you can always buy pre-shredded carrots to save yourself time and energy.

I doubled my homemade caramel recipe to use for this cake, but again, if you want to save time, just go ahead and buy yourself some caramel sauce.

This cake is PERFECT for Easter, baby showers, brunches, bridal showers, and birthdays. One of my husband’s favorite cake flavors is carrot cake. I used to make him one every year before he went ahead and changed his birthday dessert preference to pies–tangent, but if you want to make the BEST banana cream pie, you’ve got to try this one.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Ingredient Notes:

Sourdough Starter – This carrot cake recipe uses an active sourdough starter to make a fermented cake. But if you only have sourdough discard (a starter that isn’t bubbly or active), you can still make the cake the same day. Just swap the discard in for the active starter. The cake will rise thanks to the baking powder and baking soda—you just won’t get the fermentation benefits.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) instead of vegetable oil as it is a bit healthier. However, if you prefer using vegetable oil, you can replace the EVOO. Both result in a rich, moist cake.

Caramel Sauce – I doubled my homemade caramel sauce for this recipe. Alternatively, you can buy caramel sauce to save yourself some time.

Milk and Eggs – I use whole milk for my recipes. You can alternate milk of your choice. Make sure the milk and eggs are room temperature for a soft, moist cake.

Decor – I opted to keep this cake simple, but you can get as wild with the decoration as you’d like–think carrot ribbons, chopped walnuts or pecans, or flaky sea salt.

Equipment

• whisk
• three 9-inch round pans
• electric mixer or stand mixer
• mixing bowl
• cake stand
• measuring cups and measuring spoons

Step-By-Step Instructions

Below are the step-by-step instructions on how to make the sourdough caramel carrot cake. For full measurements and complete steps, see the recipe card.

Make the caramel sauce (skip this step if using store-bought caramel sauce)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, and salt (if using). Whisk continuously for 5–8 minutes until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Stir in the vanilla and cook for 1–2 more minutes. Remove from heat and let the caramel cool in the pan—it will continue to thicken as it cools. Once cooled, transfer to a glass jar.

Step One: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Step Two: In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, active sourdough starter (or discard), 1 cup of caramel sauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Step Three: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon.
Be careful not to overmix—just stir until everything is incorporated. Fold in the shredded carrots.

Ferment or Bake—Your Choice!

Using an active sourdough starter?
Cover the batter with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight (8–12 hours) for fermentation.
This will give your cake a rich, complex flavor and tender crumb.

Using sourdough discard or skipping fermentation?
No problem! You can bake the cake right away.

Step Four: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease and line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Step Five: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until it’s fully combined.

Add ½ cup of caramel sauce, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Beat the frosting until smooth and creamy.

If it’s a little too soft to spread, pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to firm up before frosting the cake.

Step Six: Level your cake layers if needed.

Place the first layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting on top, then drizzle with about ⅓ cup of caramel sauce.

Repeat with the second and third layers.

Add a light crumb coat around the entire cake and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to set.

Once chilled, frost the cake fully with the remaining cream cheese frosting.

Step Seven: To finish, drizzle caramel sauce over the top and gently swirl it with a spoon or offset spatula.
For extra flair, top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, chopped nuts, or delicate carrot ribbons.

Step Eight: Serve immediately or refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!

Storage

Store the cake in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Let it sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.

To make ahead: You can spread this cake-making process out over a few days. For example, you can make the cake batter one day, make the cake layers the following day, then cover each layer tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature overnight, then frost the next day. 

Tips for Making This Sourdough Caramel Carrot Cake Amazing

• Room temperature eggs and milk. The biggest advice I can give for getting a perfectly moist cake is to use room temperature ingredients. Ingredients that are too cold can result in a lumpy batter.
• Don’t overmix. When I fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, I do so carefully and *just* until there are no more dry bits in the batter.
• The kitchen scale is your friend. To ensure I use the same amount of cake batter in each pan, I use a kitchen scale to measure out the batter so there is an equal amount of batter in each cake pan.
• Crumb coat before frosting the cake. A crumb coat is when you apply a light layer of frosting over an entire cake and then allow it to set in the fridge before frosting it the final time. This helps prevent crumbs throughout the frosting. This cake is incredibly moist. It may be helpful to refrigerate the layers before you even crumb coat it, but that’s up to you! I’ve always been of the mindset that cakes don’t need to be beautiful as long as they taste good.