Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
This pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting is extra moist and tender, and the silky, creamy frosting is pure gold. The perfect fall treat!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
For the cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, cream cheese and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
- With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and pumpkin alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Scoop the batter evenly into the loaf pan.
- Place into oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating just until incorporated. Add vanilla and cinnamon until well combined. Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Using a small offset spatula, spread top of bread with cream cheese frosting, garnished with pecans, if desired.
Notes
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are not the same, and are not interchangeable. Pumpkin pie filling comes pre-mixed with sweeteners and spices.
- Brick-style cream cheese is key. Always use full-fat block cream cheese. Whipped, spreadable tub, or low-fat cream cheese contains too much water, yielding a runny, soupy frosting.
- Add mix-ins. Although not required here, feel free to add in chocolate chips, pecans or walnuts to the mix (about 1 cup). If making mini pumpkin loaves instead, add about 1/2 cup per loaf.
- Make them mini. Use 3 mini loaf pans instead, filling two-thirds full (so the batter has room to rise), and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Freeze without the frosting. Let the pumpkin loaf cool completely on a wire rack prior to freezing to prevent sogginess and freezer burn, freezing it whole or sliced for up to 2 months without the frosting. Cream cheese-based frostings can become watery and grainy upon thawing.