This potato flake sourdough carrot cake is so moist and delicious! For all of my carrot cake lovers, it is sure to become your new favorite carrot cake recipe.
When I think of carrot cake, I think of family gatherings: Easter, Christmas, Father’s Day. This cake is perfect for all types of occasions. Not only is it tasty, and simple to make, but it looks so fancy. Your carrot cake will be the talk of the get-together!
Chose to do a make-ahead option! Make it a day ahead and have it prepped in the fridge for your next party. This will make the party day so much easier and less stressful too!
Why make carrot cake with a potato flake starter?
If this is the first time you have made it over here to Little Tennessee Home, you might wonder why you would want to make a carrot cake with a potato flake starter.
Making carrot cake with potato flake sourdough contributes to the cake’s moistness. This ensures a tender crumb that stays fresh for longer periods. Unlike when using commercial yeast, a potato flake starter slowly ferments the grains. The fermentation that takes place because of the potato flake starter, may aid in improving digestibility and offering potential health benefits, making this twist on carrot cake not only delicious but also a little bit better for you!
A potato flake starter is sometimes referred to as an amish friendship bread starter. However, these are different types of sourdough starters. An Amish Friendship starter contains flour in addition to the ingredients of the potato flake starter. A benefit of the potato flake starter is that it can be gluten free as long as the yeast you start it with is gluten free. Check out some of my other posts to learn all about what a potato flake starter is and everything you need to know about a potato flake starter.
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Tools you will need:
Medium size skillet
Medium size bowl
Box Grater or any grater you have on hand
Measuring cups and spoons
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour provides a balance between protein content and tenderness, resulting in a cake with a tender crumb. If you use bread flour it will have a dense chewy texture.
Shredded Coconut: Adding shredded coconut adds another layer of flavor. It is not over powering in this recipe and doesn’t add a coconut flavor, but compliments the carrots nicely.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the cake, as well as a subtle hint of molasses flavor. Its moisture content helps keep the cake moist and tender, while its rich flavor enhances the overall taste of the cake.
White Sugar: White sugar provides additional sweetness to balance the flavors of the other ingredients, including the naturally sweet carrots.
Grated Carrots: Carrots are the star ingredient of carrot cake, providing natural sweetness, moisture, and a vibrant orange hue. Grating the carrots finely ensures even distribution throughout the cake and a smoother texture.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth, depth, and complexity to the cake’s flavor profile.
Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and balances out the sweetness of the cake. It also helps strengthen the gluten structure of the cake.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent that will help the cake rise and achieve a light and airy texture. The baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients like the potato flake starter to create additional lift.
Chopped Pecans: Chopped pecans add crunch, texture, and nutty flavor to the cake. They also provide a delightful contrast to the soft crumb of the cake.
Wet Ingredients:
Active Potato Flake Starter: The starter adds complexity and depth of flavor to the cake. It also contributes to the moist texture and helps with leavening.
Browned Butter: Although making the browned butter, adds a step to the process, it is worth it. It provides a rich, nutty, delicious flavor to the cake.
Coconut Oil: Coconut oil contributes to the moistness and tenderness of the cake, resulting in a more tender crumb compared to using butter alone. It also helps keep the cake moist for longer periods. It is my preferred choice of oil for anything sweet. It is a healthy oil and contributes to the flavor of the cake. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can substitute with olive oil as long as it does not have a strong flavor.
Crushed pineapple: Crushed pineapple also adds sweetness to the cake but also helps keep the cake moist and tender, even after baking. The moisture from the pineapple prevents the cake from drying out, resulting in a softer and more indulgent texture.
Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent, helping to hold the ingredients together and providing structure to the cake. They also contribute to the richness and tenderness of the crumb.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances the flavor profile of the cake, adding a warm and aromatic sweetness that complements the spices and other ingredients.
Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream cheese frosting is a classic pairing with carrot cake, adding a tangy and creamy sweetness that complements the spices and carrots. It also provides a luscious finishing touch to the cake.
Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:
Cream cheese
Butter
Powdered sugar
Vanilla
Milk
How to make the perfect potato flake sourdough carrot cake:
Feed your starter:
Feed your starter about 8-12 hours before you will begin mixing your dough. Start with one cup of the starter in your container. In a measuring cup mix together 1 cup of warm water, 3/4 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of instant potato flakes. If you want to learn more about how to feed and maintain your starter check out this post.
Brown the butter
Begin by browning 1 cup of butter. I like to use my cast iron skillet for this. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 5-8 minutes. Watch the melted butter carefully to avoid burning, then remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Mix the dough
Add flour, coconut oil, potato flake starter to a large bowl. Once the butter has cooled, add into the bowl. Mix together until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
Add the rest of the ingredients
Turn on the oven to preheat at 350 degrees.
The next day, or after the bulk ferment, add the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer, or use and hand mixer to mix the fermented dough until it is broken up into small pieces. The dough will become firm after fermenting and need to be mixed well to brake it up before adding the additional ingredients.
Now add in the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, crushed pineapple, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix together then add in the shredded carrots and shredded coconut. Once the dough is mostly incorporated, add in the chopped pecans.
Prepare the pans
If you are using silicone pans, move on to the next step. If you are using metal pans you will need to grease your cake pans well to ensure they do not stick. Take extra precaution and add a disc of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan and then grease to prevent less sticking and ensure a beautiful cake.
Evenly pour the batter into each pan so that they all have the same amount of batter and will cook evenly.
Bake the cakes
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. The top will become golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted, it should come out clean. Be sure to not over bake or this will dry out your cake. Continue checking often towards the end of the baking time and pull out as soon as they are done.
Making the frosting to frost the cakes
While the cake is baking, make the frosting. To do this cream the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together adding a tablespoon or so of milk as needed to get a thinner frosting if desired. Usually about 2-4 tablespoons. Cover and set aside until ready to frost the cake. You can place in the fridge. When ready to use, place in the microwave at 10 second increments until the frosting is smooth and easy to spread.
Cool the cakes
Once the carrot cakes are done baking, remove from the oven and set pans on a cooling rack. As soon as the pans are cool enough to handle, remove the cakes to cool on the baking rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting the potato flake sourdough carrot cake
It’s helpful to begin by placing a circular piece of parchment paper under the first layer of the cake. This will make it much easier to transfer to a cake stand or decorative dish later. Set the first cake layer on the parchment and frost the top.
Stack the next cake layer on top and ice again. Repeat this one last time. Add the rest of the frosting to the sides of the cakes. In a small bowl, chop the pecans if they are not already chopped. Add the chopped pecans to the bottom and top edges for a decorative look. Plus, it adds more delicious pecans.
Alternative options:
You could cut each cake in half horizontally and have a six layer cake or save half of the cake and frosting for another time by placing them in the freezer.
Bake the batter in bread loaf pans instead of cake pans to have a carrot cake sourdough bread. Top with icing and pecans for the finishing touch.
You might think it’s a great idea to try maple syrup or honey in place of the sugar in this recipe. I personally wouldn’t recommend substituting the sugar in the recipe, but if you decide to try remember that the dry ingredients will have to be adjusted to compensate for the extra add liquid.
If you don’t want to do the overnight option, or the long fermented option, you can make the cake right away without allowing the dough to sit to ferment. Just follow the recipe as is eliminating the fermentation time and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder in addition to the 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
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Potato Flake Sourdough Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- ½ cup Active potato flake starter
- 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Browned Butter
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 3 cups Shredded Carrots
- ½ c shredded coconut
- ½ c crushed pineapple
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 T Vanilla
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 Bricks of Cream Cheese Softened
- 2 Sticks Butter Softened
- 1-2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2-4 T milk to right consistency
Instructions
- Begin by browning 1 cup of butter. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 5-8 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning, then remove from heat and allow it to cool.
- Add flour, coconut oil, potato flake starter to a large bowl. Once the butter has cooled, add into the bowl. Mix together until incorporated. Cover and let it ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- Turn on the oven to preheat at 350 degrees.
- After the bulk ferment, add the dough to a stand mixer, or use and hand mixer to mix the fermented dough until it is broken up into small pieces. The dough will become firm after fermenting and need to be mixed well to brake it up before adding the additional ingredients.
- Now add in the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, crushed pineapple, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix together then add in the shredded carrots and shredded coconut. Once the dough is mostly incorporated, add in the chopped pecans.
- If you are using silicone pans, move on to the next step. If you are using metal pans you will need to grease your cake pans well to ensure they do not stick. Take extra precaution and add a disc of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan and then grease to prevent less sticking and ensure a beautiful cake.
- Evenly pour the batter into each pan so that they all have the same amount of batter and will cook evenly.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. The top will become golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted, it should come out clean. Be sure to not over bake or this will dry out your cake. Continue checking often towards the end of the baking time and pull out as soon as they are done.
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting. To do this cream the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together adding a tablespoon or so of milk as needed to get a thinner frosting if desired. Usually about 2-4 tablespoons. Cover and set aside until ready to frost the cake. You can place in the fridge. When ready to use, place in the microwave at 10 second increments until the frosting is smooth and easy to spread.
- Once the carrot cakes are done baking, remove from the oven and set pans on a cooling rack. As soon as the pans are cool enough to handle, remove the cakes to cool on the baking rack. Cool completely before frosting.
- It’s helpful to begin by placing a circular piece of parchment paper under the first layer of the cake. This will make it much easier to transfer to a cake stand or decorative dish later. Set the first cake layer on the parchment and frost the top. Stack the next cake layer on top and ice again. Repeat this one last time. Add the rest of the frosting to the sides of the cakes. Add chopped pecans to the bottom and top edges for a decorative look. Plus, it adds more delicious pecans.
- Alternatively, you could cut each cake in half horizontally and have a six layer cake or save half of the cake and frosting for another time by placing them in the freezer.
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