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–+ servings
Sourdough Spice Cake sliced on glass plate with pumpkins.

Sourdough Spice Cake

By Tammy Spencer
This spice cake is filled with bold flavor from warm Fall baking spices and is topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. With all this flavor, no one will notice there's sourdough starter discard in it!
4.78 from 9 votes
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 196kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the streusel topping

  • ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cubed

For the batter

  • 1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (110 grams) brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (227 grams) sourdough starter discard, at room temperature, see Recipe Notes
  • 1 (50 grams) large egg, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (114 grams) sour cream, or plain yogurt (regular or Greek), at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (56 grams) canola oil, see Recipe Notes
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray a standard loaf pan with baking spray, and line with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
  • Prepare the streusel: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
  • Cut in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter using a fork or your hands until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Place the streusel in the refrigerator while you make the batter. It's important to keep the streusel chilled - that keeps it from melting into the batter when the cake is baking.
  • Prepare the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    If necessary, mash any large lumps of brown sugar.
  • Add 1 cup sourdough starter discard, 1 large egg, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup canola oil, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Stir together until everything is just combined.
  • Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Top the batter evenly with the streusel, pressing it down gently into the top of the bread so it sticks.
  • Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan using the parchment paper as a sling and allow it to cool completely. Serve & enjoy!
  • Storage instructions: Sourdough Spice Cake should stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
    This cake also makes a great gift and ships well!

Recipe Notes

You can vary the spice mix used to take advantage of pre-mixed spice blends if you'd like. Just use 2 teaspoons of your favorite pumpkin spice, speculaas spice, chai spice, or gingerbread spice blends (just to name a few) instead of the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg used for the batter. Great for seasonal variations!
To make spice cake without sourdough discard, just substitute a scant 1 cup of flour (114 grams) and ½ cup of warm water (118 grams) for the 1 cup of starter.
You can substitute ¼ cup of applesauce for the canola oil for a lighter bread.
One of the benefits of baking quick breads is that they can be baked in different sizes and shapes. You're not limited to a stand loaf. Here are some suggestions for alternative presentations:
  • One large loaf in a standard loaf pan plus two mini loaves using mini loaf pans. Bake the large loaf for 35 to 40 minutes and the mini loaves for 25 to 30 minutes
  • Six mini loaves using mini loaf pans. Bake for for 25 to 30 minutes
  • Twelve full-size muffins in a standard muffin pan, each well filled ⅔ full. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes
  • One small bundt cake in a 6-cup bundt pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg