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Ultimate Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bread – Easy Fall Recipe

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This pumpkin cream cheese swirl bread is a moist, tender quick bread with a generous ribbon of tangy cream cheese running through every slice. It’s the perfect fall treat for brunches, potlucks, and holiday gatherings, made with simple pantry ingredients and ready in about an hour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ 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
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (360g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for cream cheese swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the exposed ends with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl first. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, the egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl once. Set aside at room temperature.
  3. Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk until evenly distributed, about 20 seconds.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined—about 10 to 12 strokes. A few small streaks of flour are okay. Do not overmix.
  6. Layer the batter and cream cheese. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter—about 6 to 8 dollops. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the batter. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter on top and spread carefully. Add the remaining cream cheese dollops and swirl again lightly.
  7. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown and cracked. If the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
  8. Cool completely before slicing. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then lift it out using the parchment paper handles and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely—at least 1 hour—before slicing.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are key for a smooth swirl. Don’t over-swirl the cream cheese—two or three gentle figure-eight motions are enough. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to get clean slices. This bread tastes even better on day two. For a dairy-free version, use Kite Hill cream cheese alternative. For gluten-free, use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, cream cheese swirl, fall recipe, quick bread, pumpkin, cream cheese, easy baking, holiday bread, brunch recipe

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/ultimate-pumpkin-cream-cheese-swirl-bread-easy-fall-recipe/