Print

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

pumpkin spice bread with cream cheese swirl - featured image
Print Recipe

This incredibly moist pumpkin bread features a tangy cream cheese swirl layered right through the middle. It’s the recipe that converted a pumpkin bread skeptic and will become your go-to fall treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (245g) canned pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (60ml) milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with ¼ cup granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, beat until combined. Set aside at room temperature.
  3. Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
  5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Layer and swirl: Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter, spreading gently to edges. Pour remaining batter on top. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the layers with a few figure-eight motions.
  7. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly, tent with foil after 40 minutes.
  8. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then lift bread out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour, before slicing.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Do not overmix the batter. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use dairy-free cream cheese and oat or almond milk.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, cream cheese swirl, fall baking, pumpkin spice, quick bread

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/perfect-pumpkin-spice-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/