This cream cheese pumpkin loaf is perfect for the fall season. It’s warm, spicy, moist, and not so pumpkiny that you’ll get sick of it. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee and an excellent midday snack. I wouldn’t exactly call these loaves a health food (they have 2 cups of sugar 😬), but pumpkin is a superfood packed full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Sneaking it in with a healthy dose of sugar isn’t the worst thing. This recipe is adapted from Once Upon a Chef’s Pumpkin Bread recipe, which originally appeared in McCall’s Cook Book (Random House, 1963).
To make these cream cheese pumpkin loaves, begin by preparing your loaf pans. I used Lodge’s 8.5” x 4.5” Loaf Pans. I prefer cast iron over aluminum, as aluminum cookware has the potential to transfer metals into your food, especially when scratched. Obviously, raw cast iron can also transfer metal into your food, namely iron, but the consensus is that this is safe. With aluminum, some studies suggest the metals leaching into your food, namely aluminum (and sometimes lead!), can have harmful effects, and I’d rather not take the chances with my family.
Generously grease your loaf pans, especially if you’re using cast iron, so they don’t stick. My secret is to use coconut oil. I think it lends a lovely sweet flavour to the crust, plus its a healthy oil, way better than pam! If you’re using a stoneware or cast iron pan, for best results, place the pan in the oven while preheating (I didn’t do this, and the crust still turned out beautifully).
Preheat your oven to 325°F. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until just combined. Then add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated. Continue beating on medium high speed until the mixture turns light and fluffy, a few minutes. Add in the pumpkin and beat until combined.
Turn the mixer speed to low, and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and cinnamon sugar. You can add as much as you like. I added about 3 tablespoons, because the bread is already quite sweet on its own. If you have any cinnamon sugar remaining, you can store it in an airtight container and use it to top toast, bagels, or this bread when serving! Nothing beats cinnamon toast 🙂
Divide half of the batter between loaf pans. Top with cream cheese mixture, spreading around with a spatula to cover everything. Pour in the remaining batter. Shake the pans around a bit on top of the counter to help the batter smooth out. Place the pans in the preheated oven on the center rack and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Don’t forget there is cream cheese in the middle, which won’t set. If your toothpick comes out dirty, check whether it’s batter.
Once the loaves are done baking, remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and let them finish cooling on a wire rack. These are delicious warm fresh out of the oven, or toasted briefly the next day to warm them back up. They’re also lovely refrigerated. Once they finish cooling completely, you can place in an airtight bag and freeze for later. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Loaf
Equipment
- 2 loaf pans
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1 can pumpkin puree 15-oz
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- Cinnamon sugar to taste (I used about 3 tablespoons)
Cinnamon Sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Generously grease two loaf pans with oil or butter. I love to use coconut oil, as I think it adds a lovely, sweet flavor to the final product. Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,* beat the butter and sugar until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium high speed after each addition. Continue beating until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin.
- Turn the speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until everything is nicely combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese and cinnamon sugar mixture. I just mixed it together with a spoon, but you can also use a hand mixer.
- Spread half the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over top, and spread out with a spatula or the back of the spoon. Try to get it all the way to the edges so there’s cream cheese in every bite! Spread the remainder of the batter evenly between the two pans. Make sure all the cream cheese is covered.
- Place both loaves on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Begin checking at an hour, and then every five minutes. They’re done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. When you’re checking, keep in mind the middle is filled with cream cheese, so if your toothpick comes out covered with something, double check to see whether its batter or cream cheese!
- Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. I love to eat these warm (freshly baked or toasted the next day) or refrigerated. It changes the flavour completely!
Notes
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