Some people love summer because they can finally get a tan or winter because when the world is covered in snow it can be so pretty, but I love the Fall. Not just because it means my birthday is right around the corner (wink wink!), but because I love seeing the bright orange and deep red leaves. I love the crunch and crackle they make when you walk on them. I love the crisp cool breeze coming from Lake Michigan. Most of all, I love the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves from freshly baked Pumpkin Spice Bread.

A lot of people don’t like baking during the summer because the heat from the oven can make an already hot house even hotter. But as soon as the temperature drops I pull out my bread recipes, roll up my sleeves and get to baking! I chose to share this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Bread with Pumpkin Cream Cheese because it is one of my family’s favorites. Quick and simple to make, it’s a great choice to make with entertaining friends and pairs perfectly with coffee. I usually make two loaves because my family of six can eat one in a single day. So after all the excitement dies down and everyone has had their fill of the yumminess that is Pumpkin Spice Bread, there is still another loaf left for the rest of the week.

If you want to take this bread a step further I highly recommend serving it with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread. Personally, I wouldn’t eat it any other way! It’s light, creamy and smooth and brings out the pumpkin flavor of the bread. However you choose to eat it I promise you and your family will enjoy the Fall that much more.

Ingredients

For pumpkin bread:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ginger
1 tbsp unsalted butter

For pumpkin cream cheese:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
¼ cup canned pumpkin
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

For pumpkin bread:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, combine pumpkin, sugar, water, vegetable oil and eggs. Beat until well mixed. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves into a separate bowl and stir until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture in three separate batches, beating until smooth.6
Using paper towel smeared with butter, grease one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour. Pour batter into pan and smooth out evenly. Bake on center rack for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan by inverting and tapping the bottom. Place on a rack and allow to cool completely.
For pumpkin cream cheese spread:
In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and syrup until creamy. Add pumpkin, spices and vanilla and beat until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Recipe adapted from www.Food.com. 

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My name is Nina Payne, the cook/baker/blogger/photographer behind Nina’s Cooking Journey (“NCJ”).  By day, I am an Accountant/Financial Analyst, which means I’m very serious (not really) and I wear glasses, but cooking and baking are my passion.  I live in the suburbs of Chicago, attend culinary school part-time and have three younger sisters and two wonderful parents who are incredibly supportive.  Read more …