Moist & Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Emma Fontanella’s moist and easy pumpkin bread
About My Moist & Easy Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread is moist and packed with flavor. It’s based on the recipe my mom and I used to bake together when I was a kid. One of my earliest memories is the smell of fall spices in the kitchen as the pumpkin bread was baking. The original recipe was given to my mom by a neighbour when we first moved to America. My addition is an irresistible crumble topping.
If you have kids or grand kids, this is a great recipe to get them involved with. All that’s needed is a bit of mixing of ingredients. Then you pop it in the oven. An hour later, you’ll have some delicious pumpkin bread. And your kitchen, like mine, will be filled with the smell of warming, sweet autumnal spices.
How do I store pumpkin bread?
When cool, store the pumpkin bread in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze pumpkin bread?
Yes, pumpkin bread freezes beautifully. Once its cool, to freeze, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Is canned pumpkin puree just pumpkin?
Yes, canned pumpkin purée is pure pumpkin. Usually, it’s a particular of variety of pumpkin called a ‘Dickinson’ pumpkin. There should be no additives such as sugar or spices, unless it says so on the label.
Troubleshooting
Why does my pumpkin bread taste bland?
Make sure to follow the recipe exactly. That means—don’t leave out the salt, don’t cut the amount of sugar, and use the specified amount of cinnamon. This is important because flour is what I like to call a “flavor thief”— it sucks the flavor out of ingredients. So, if you don’t follow the recipe as specified, you risk a bland tasting pumpkin bread.
How do I prevent my pumpkin bread from getting a soggy bottom?
Preventing your pumpkin bread from having a soggy bottom is all about how you let it cool. When it comes out of the oven, let the loaf sit in the pan for a 5 minutes. Then, and here’s the secret, turn it out upside down onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper, and allow it to cool completely. This stops the bottom from getting soggy, and prevents a gummy layer forming at the base of the loaf.
Why did my pumpkin bread come out dry?
There are a number of reasons your pumpkin bread came out dry. It’s possible the particular flour you used was extra “thirsty” for liquid. Try cutting the amount of flour, or adding more milk. It’s also possible your oven was too hot, or you baked the pumpkin bread for too long. Try reducing the oven temperature and cutting the baking time.
What can I use instead of pumpkin purée?
If you don’t want to use pumpkin purée, you can grate fresh pumpkin into the batter, like you might do for a carrot cake. If you don’t want to use pumpkin at all, you can substitute it with carrot purée or sweet potato purée. Both will yield a delicious result.
EQUIPMENT
8 ×4-inch (10×20cm) loaf pan
Handheld or stand mixer
INGREDIENTS
For the pumpkin bread
1¾ cup (240g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
15oz (420g) pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin works well, or you can blend up some fresh pumpkin)
8 tbsp (1 stick / 115g) unsalted butter
½ cup (100g) white granulated sugar
½ cup (100g) brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temp
½ cup (120g) milk
2 tsp cinnamon
For the Crumble Topping
½ cup (70g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt (don't skip it)
4 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2½ tbsp sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven and prepare the loaf pan
Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
Grease and flour the loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to make it easy to lift the pumpkin bread out of the tin. Grease and flour the parchment paper as well.
Make the crumb topping
To a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and the cubes of cold butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients to form large crumbs, fine crumbs, or a mixture of sizes. (I like a mixture of sizes). Set aside.
Make the pumpkin bread batter
In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a big bowl combine together the pumpkin purée, 2 eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract.
Add the white and brown sugar and mix to combine.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated or until smooth. DO NOT over mix or the cake will turn out gluey.
Assemble the pumpkin bread
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan. Top with the crumble.
Bake the pumpkin bread
Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Do the tooth pick test after an hour, to see if the pumpkin cake is ready. If the tooth pick comes out dry, it’s ready.
When the pumpkin bread comes out of the oven, let it rest in its tin for 5 minutes. Then, turn it out upside down onto a cooling rack, remove the parchment paper.
Allow it to cool completely while upside down. This will prevent the pumping bread developing soggy bottom, with a gummy layer at the base.
Hi! I’m Emma Fontanella. Here you’ll find trusted, tested recipes to satisfy your baking addiction and carb cravings. Learn more…
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