Need a delicious (easy) way to use up sourdough discard?
This Vanilla Sourdough Discard layer cake uses 250g of discard -and makes one KILLER cake!
So after years of waiting, I finally got brave - and stuck my toe into the OCEAN that is the world of sourdough! A friend gave me some starter and instructions on how to feed it a couple of months ago. And man has it been an adventure!
Yâall wouldnât believe the literal avalanche of recipes Iâve been sent by friends and family and the way itâs overwhelmed my Pinterest feed. Itâs maybe a touch out of control - but in the best way. It's been super fun. And now I understand why sourdough addicts are the way they are!
All that said, Iâm not going to lie - biggest problem has been figuring out what to do with all the discard.
Iâm still getting my feet under me and maybe (probably?) over-feeding my starter a bit â but man. I don't want to accidentally underfeed it or run out!
So the net effect - lots of sourdough discard. And I hate throwing it away; thereâs so much I *could* use it for. But it was on its way to taking over my fridge!
THEN I was doing some reading online and apparently sourdough discard can function kiiind of similarly to buttermilk. (More details here.)
Right?? ::blink blink:: ⌠âWell NOW I know what to try with all this discard!!â
I was also reading that sourdough starter can inhibit gluten development in the cake batter (?) Donât quote me on that because I canât remember my source. (Spoiler alert: after some testing this seems believable to me! The texture of the cake layers was rich but not super dense or dry. Highly recommend!)
So testing began.
I cut some starter by about 1/3 with milk, so that the consistency was thinner and a little closer to buttermilk. Then I tweaked a couple of other ingredients around to accommodate that change â and tried my hand at my first Vanilla Sourdough Discard layer cake.
And OH man.
Iâll definitely be making this one again and again! So SO good. The sourdough flavor is there but itâs light and not overpowering. Itâs a little difficult to fit into words, but the sourdough discard adds a bit of tang and maybe just a touch of bitterness thatâs balanced out by the sweetness of the cake really well. Once I added some cream cheese frosting it was even better!
I covered the cake in the photos / video in sprinkles because Iâm a sprinkle addict. ::shrug:: Not ready to quit, either. đ
So with that...going to cover a quick couple of questions, then on to the recipe!
âDo I need a full cup of sourdough discard? Thatâs kind of a lot.â
Thatâs what Iâve used in all my trial runs so far â so obviously Iâd recommend it. If you donât have that much discard on hand though, just use what you have! If you have less than ½ cup on hand, Iâd use what you have and substitute buttermilk for the remaining amount.
âHow strong is the sourdough taste?"
With regular sourdough bread being a 10/10, I'd give the strength of the sourdough flavor in the cake layers maybe a 3 or 4/10. It's there, but not strong enough that the cake tastes like a sourdough loaf. (My husband's a much bigger fan of sourdough than I am, so for me - that's perfect.)
âCan I use active starter?â
I think so! I did one trial run with starter that Iâd fed the day before and then put into the fridge, so it was still fairly bubbly. Iâll do some more testing and update this section if that changes though.
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Don't forget to pin this recipe for later!
Vanilla Sourdough Discard Cake
Equipment
- 10 inch cardboard cake circle (8- or 10-inch, or a flat plate)
- serrated knife (if needed; to level cake layers)
Ingredients
Vanilla Sourdough Discard Cake layers
- 2 ž cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks, room temperature)
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup sourdough discard (250g)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks; softened)
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- Âź teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk (if needed to reach a spreadable consistency)
Decorations
- Sprinkle mix of your choice I used a Man V Cake ârose goldâ mix
Instructions
Vanilla Sourdough Discard Cake layers
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C) or 325 F (160C) for a convection oven. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured spray (or line with parchment rounds).
- Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Pour in eggs and mix on low until just combined. Whisk together sourdough discard and milk until well-combined. Add the sourdough discard/milk mixture in 2 parts, mixing until combined.
- Add vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
- Bake for 35-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans â it helps to run an offset spatula or knife around the perimeter of the pan first. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
- Once the layers have fully cooled, the caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. (Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming. If you try to trim the layers while theyâre still warm, they will crumble apart.) This is a great time to make your frosting!
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with flavoring until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt/milk if needed and beat until well combined.
Assembly
- If needed, once cake layers are cooled, level them (I donât generally trim much from the tops of mine). This can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler if needed.
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle.
- Spread the first layer with frosting. Add your next cake layer on top, and repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat. If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like â spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I didnât worry about smoothing too much since I wanted to texture the frosting with the offset spatula.
Decorating
- Wipe off a small offset spatula, and press the back of the tip gently into the frosting at the base of the cake. As you spin the turntable, gradually move the spatula up the side of the cake, adding a ridged texture to the frosting as you go.
- This motion along the top of the cake edge will probably result in a small âlipâ or âridgeâ of frosting at the top â this is a good thing. ;) Wipe off the offset spatula again, and use it to pull in that âlip,â keeping the spatula even with the top of the cake. Work your way around the cake until the top edge is smooth. Smooth-ish. Whatever. ;)
- Feel free to decorate with flowers or berries at this point â or sprinkles like I did! Annnd youâre done! Cut in and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this Vanilla Sourdough Discard cake?
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