This pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting is moist, fluffy, perfectly pumpkin spiced, and can be made in one hour. With no mixer required and common pantry ingredients, this loaf is ideal for cozy Fall mornings or your Christmas brunch!
For more pumpkin inspired desserts, make sure to check out these recipes: Pumpkin Pie With Meringue, The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, The Best Pumpkin Muffins.
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Why you will love this pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting
- Warm and spiced flavor. This pumpkin bread has all the cozy Fall flavors! With a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, this pumpkin bread is perfect for crisp autumn days.
- Moist and tender texture. The combination of pumpkin puree, yogurt, milk, and vegetable oil makes this bread incredibly moist and tender. It practically melts in your mouth, making it a delightful treat with a cup of coffee or tea.
- Cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting takes this pumpkin bread to the next level! Its creamy texture complements the subtle sweetness of the bread, making every bite delicious.
Key ingredients
- All purpose flour: the foundation of the bread, providing structure and stability to the batter.
- Baking soda: acts as the leavening agent, helping the bread rise and become fluffy.
- Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger): these spices are where most of the flavor comes from - giving the loaf that cozy pumpkin taste we know and love.
- Sugar: granulated sugar & light brown sugar add sweetness and moisture to the bread while also contributing to its golden brown color. Powdered sugar is used in the cream cheese frosting.
- Eggs: bind the ingredients together, providing structure and moisture.
- Vegetable oil, yogurt, & milk: keeps the bread moist and tender, even after baking.
- Pumpkin puree: the star ingredient, bringing that unmistakable pumpkin flavor and moisture to the bread.
- Cream cheese: the base for the frosting, lending its creamy texture and tangy flavor.
Steps
- Whisk the dry ingredients. This includes the all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. Start by whisking the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Then add the vegetable oil, yogurt, milk, and pumpkin puree and whisk.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a 9x5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 55-65 minutes.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the cream cheese by itself until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Frost and enjoy! Once the loaf cake is cool, frost with the cream cheese frosting. Store in an airtight container.
FAQ/Troubleshooting
If you notice your bread is browning too fast but isn't fully baked, tent it with aluminum foil. This will prevent excessive browning while allowing the center to finish baking.
Absolutely, feel free to adjust the spices to your taste. You can experiment with additional spices like allspice or cardamom to create your perfect spice blend. Or, just try pumpkin pie spice, in addition to the cinnamon.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before beating it. Beat the cream cheese by itself on high speed for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. Also, gradually add the powdered sugar, starting on low speed to avoid sugar dust, and then increase the speed as you go.
A dry loaf cake could potentially be from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. A dry loaf cake can also be from over baking. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist loaf cake into a tough and dry one, so make sure to keep an eye on it.
Loaf cakes can sink from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Additionally, an underbaked loaf can sink, so make sure to bake it all the way through.
Storage
- Room temperature. If you plan to enjoy your pumpkin bread within 2 days, you can store it at room temperature. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container.
- Refrigeration. For longer storage, place your pumpkin bread in the refrigerator. Again, wrap it securely in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. Properly stored, it should stay fresh for up to a week.
- Freezing. If you have leftovers or want to prepare it in advance, freezing is an excellent option. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. When you're ready to enjoy your frozen pumpkin bread, transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. Make the frosting when ready to serve.
Baking in grams
While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.
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Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 1 ¾ cups (219 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (150 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) yogurt room temperature, greek or regular works!
- ¼ cup (60 grams) whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup (244 grams) pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper with overhang on at least two sides. This will make it easier to remove the loaf from the pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the oil, yogurt, milk, and pumpkin puree and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until combined and no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick - small lumps are okay.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. The pumpkin bread is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges begin to peel away from the sides of the pan. Let the pumpkin bread cool in the pan for at least an hour.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the pumpkin bread is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a medium-sized bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese by itself for 2-4 minutes on high speed until smooth and creamy. You can also do this by hand with a wooden spatula.
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium-high speed until combined. Once the ingredients are fully incorporated, turn your mixture up to high speed and beat for a few minutes. This will make the frosting super smooth and creamy.
- Once the cake is cool or almost cool, frost with the cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
Ale
This looks amazing, can't wait to try it this weekend! I was thinking of using cake flour instead, do you think the final result would still be good?
Jess Italiano
I would look up some conversion ratios just to make sure! Let me know how it goes!