Pumpkin Bread: Presented in Three Ways

Do you have a go to recipe in the fall? When a chill creeps in and Halloween decorations pop up in stores, what’s something that you crave to bake or even just simply buy premade? Cause let’s be real, life gets busy and sometimes things are easier when they come from a box. This recipe in particular is homemade.

My favorite recipe to make in the fall is pumpkin bread. I don’t know what it is about bread but it calls my name every year. Always has, always will. Today, I will be sharing my favorite pumpkin bread recipe with you. This is a recipe I’ve tweaked for a while now. Actually, since me and my husband have been married. I added more fall spices to the original recipe because I love all the spices.

Let me state now that this recipe isn’t healthy. My personal opinion is that it’s okay to treat yourself from time to time. It’s the holiday season! When I first got married and lived in Italy I baked all of the time. Living in a foreign country meant that I didn’t have my family around to make the annual entrees and desserts. It was up to me to figure it out if I wanted a taste of home. Since having kids, my baking has died down. It’s not that I don’t love it, it’s that I don’t need to be eating brownies every weekend. For me personally, moderation is key. What works for me may not work for you and that’s okay. Overall, I still enjoy being in the kitchen so I can show my kids the joy of baking and cooking. Most times it ends up with them playing in the Tupperware cabinet. But hey, as long as we’re all content, that’s all that matters. I would be lying though if I said the kids were always with me while cooking. Sometimes I need a break so I let them play in their playroom. That’s okay too.

Now, let’s get to baking!

So, when we first got married, I made this recipe in a loaf pan. Pumpkin bread is my weakness. Then, when we had kids it turned into muffins for easy portioning and just recently I made it into a bundt cake. Honestly, do whatever floats your boat in regards to presentation. Muffins are fun for breakfast. The loaf pan can be good for a small snack – maybe with your favorite Halloween movie! Lastly, the bundt cake as a yummy dessert – you could serve with vanilla ice cream!

It’s important to note that the bundt cake uses this full recipe. The 3x7 loaf pan and a dozen muffins can be split using this full recipe. Fill up the loaf pan first and use whatever is left over for the muffins. Two batches of this recipe were made for the purpose of this post… and my cravings!

Ingredients:

·       1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour

·      1 ½ sugar

·      1 tsp baking soda

·      1 tsp salt

·      2 tsp cinnamon

·      ¼ tsp cloves

·      ¼ tsp nutmeg

·      1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

·      2 eggs

·      ½ cup vegetable oil

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

·      1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

For bundt cake:

·      1 tsp powdered sugar for sifting, optional

Directions:

·      Preheat oven to 375 F

·      Combine the dry ingredients and mix well with whisk

·      In separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix well with whisk – I like to mix the eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract first then mix in the pumpkin puree.

·      Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and thoroughly mix with whisk until well combined.

For bundt cake:

*** The bundt cake version is this full recipe

·      Generously spray every crevice with nonstick spray

·      Evenly distribute mixture into the pan. Use a spatula to flatten the top evenly. Put both of your hands on the sides of pan and tap the pan down to further set the mixture.  

·      Bake for 40-45 minutes at 375 F

·      Make sure to test with a tooth pick in the thickest spots and ensure it comes out clean. If it comes back with batter, put it back in for 3-5 minutes and try again. Keep doing so until toothpick comes back clean.

·      Let cool for 5-10 minutes

·      Place the cooling rack over the pan and grip both the rack and pan to flip your cake. Once stabilized, tap the bundt pan to give you every chance at having the cake come out clean.

·      Let cool for another 5-10 minutes before transferring to cake stand. I actually didn’t wait right here. Once I flipped it onto the cooling rack, I carefully transferred it with a big spatula and my clean hands to the cake stand.

·      Once fully cooled, sift 1 tsp of powdered sugar over the cake

For loaf:

·      Turn your 3x7 loaf pan upside down on the counter. Get your foil out, take off enough that it’s a bit wider than the pan. Fit the foil around the pan to form its shape. This is a trick my mom taught me long ago. It helps get the shape of the pan to make the foil fit easier.

·      Once the shape is formed in the foil, take it off and flip the pan upright. Place the foil inside the pan. Carefully use your fingers to mold the foil to the loaf pan. It’s easy to rip a hole in the corners so be careful.

·      Generously spray with nonstick spray

·      Fill batter ¾ way up the pan

·      Save the rest of your batter for the muffins

·      Bake 40-45 minutes at 375F

·      Make sure to test with a tooth pick in the thickest spots and ensure it comes out clean. If it comes back with batter, put it back in for 3-5 minutes and try again. Keep trying until toothpick comes out clean. Place on cooling rack and gently pull foil away from sides.

For muffins:

·      Get your muffin tin out along with muffin liners. I love using festive liners. I know they get thrown away or the design gets distorted but I still love it.

·      Place your desired liners in your muffin tin

·      Scoop semi small scoops into each liner. I was able to split this recipe for a small loaf and 12 small muffins. If you have leftover batter, evenly distribute in the muffins that look smaller than others.

·      Just like with the bundt pan, use your hands to tap the whole pan down on to the counter to set your muffin batter

·      Bake for 20 minutes at 375F

·      Test with tooth pick and make sure it comes out clean. If not, put it back in for 3 minutes and try again. In my experience, the muffins take a shorter amount of time. It’s usually 20 minutes on the dot.

Enjoy this recipe in whichever way you decide to present it!

Cheers,

Elizabeth Buford