Fall Flavors: Pumpkin Bread

You can tell it's Fall: brisk evenings, brilliantly-colored trees and awesome produce, such as pumpkins!  Most pumpkins in the United States are grown in the Midwest.  Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the flesh, seeds, leaves, and even flowers.  Pumpkin puree is an excellent source of fiber and beta carotene (Vitamin A) while the seeds supply a good amount of B vitamins, iron and magnesium.  Who knew this humble fruit was such a nutritional powerhouse?

One of my favorite things to make with pumpkin is Pumpkin Bread.  I have tried a lot of recipes and have enjoyed them all.  But the hit of orange in the cream cheese filling  is what makes this pumpkin bread special.   My family loves it, and I hope yours will, too.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
(click here to print recipe)

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. flour

1 egg

1/4 tsp. orange oil (click here for more info.) or 1 T. orange zest

Pumpkin Batter:

1 2/3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9x5x2" loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients.  Beat until smooth.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.  In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, oil, sugars (white and brown), and eggs.  Beat well.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.  Don't overbeat.  Spread half of the pumpkin batter into the greased loaf pan.  Spoon cream cheese mixture over the batter, then put remaining pumpkin batter over top.  You can swirl them together a little with a knife if you want.

Bake for 80-90 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool bread in pan for 15 minutes, then remove to rack to cool.  This bread is best enjoyed the next day (if you can wait that long!) so that the flavors meld completely. 

I linked this post to The Inspired Room 31 Days of Autumn Bliss Day 30 & 31.