It feels a bit strange to be writing about pumpkin bread when we just finished putting up our Christmas decorations. But this recipe was too good not to share, even if it is a little past the time when most are craving recipes based on pumpkin.
Most of the time I decide what I am going to cook based on one particular ingredient I want to use or by simply by perusing my massive collection of clipped recipes from magazines, newspapers, other blogs, and cookbooks. It’s not often I have a very specific end product in mind and need to find the recipe to fit my vision. That, however, was the case when I wanted to make pumpkin bread. I knew from experience eating different types of pumpkin loaf that I wanted one with a strong mix of several different spices, buttermilk, dark brown sugar, nuts, and a cream cheese swirl. I searched high and low but couldn’t find a recipe to fit these specifications. Finally I just chose a recipe for a nut-less, swirl-less loaf that looked particularly promising and decided to wing it on the nuts (easy) and cream cheese (a little more challenging).
I am so glad I chose the recipe that I did because the loaf part was exactly what I had imagined. It was moist, dense, and full of the warm flavor of the spices. I ended up just beating some cream cheese with a little vanilla and white sugar, layering it between the loaf batter, and swirling with a spatula to disperse it more evenly because it was difficult to spread. I can’t even remember at this point if I chose pecans or walnuts, but I just tossed them into the loaf batter.
So even though it’s not the prime pumpkin months of October and November, give this recipe a try. It would make a great offering at a holiday potluck. Or baked in small loaf pans, it would be a much-appreciated holiday gift. Who doesn’t like to be gifted food?
Pumpkin Bread
Makes 2 large loaves or 6 mini loaves
unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 2 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pans with butter; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt; set mixture aside.
IN the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the pumpkin puree and both sugars; mix on medium speed until well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs and oil; mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. With mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans; smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Place the pans on a baking sheet. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool completely. Bread can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for up to 4 days.
From Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
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