Cream cheese pumpkin bread

Photo by Theo Lawson
Pumpkin season is upon us so why stick to traditional recipes of the past when you can spice things up with flavorful cream cheese pumpkin bread.

Madison McCord and Theo Lawson

Pumpkin season is upon us so why stick to traditional recipes of the past when you can spice things up with flavorful cream cheese pumpkin bread. We stuck with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg but feel free to sprinkle in some allspice for an additional flavor boost. The soft and spongy texture of this bread lined with a cream cheese filling can be complimented with a warm cup of coffee, especially on chilly fall mornings.

Ingredients

Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

Bread

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

How to

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Lightly grease two 8x4x3-inch loaf pans.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 egg, and the orange peel; beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, sift 1 2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
5. Put pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, 2 eggs and 1 1/2 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat well.
6. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture just until combined.
7. Fold in the pecans or walnuts, if using.
8. Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans.
9. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of pumpkin batter layer and then pour on the remaining pumpkin batter.
   1. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
   2. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 loaves.