Either give me pumpkin bread or get out of the way.
I swear by all that is holy, if I do not get my rich moist dense pumpkin bread (or cupcake, I’m not particular) with sweetened cream cheese frosting, I am liable to start gluing candy to my house, then baking and eating the small children when they get too close to my general vicinity.
Have I mentioned lately how much I want some pumpkin bread? I literally do not understand why I have not baked any. I actually think that there is a small voice telling me that it is actually a self preservation issue. Do not bake the pumpkin bread and save yourself from diabetic destruction.
Lord how I want me some pumpkin bread. With a 2 inch thick layer of sweetened sugared up cream cheese. Just tart enough. I thought I wanted it loaded up with plump juicy raisins and cranberries, like little fruit bombs for my tongue to run into and explode on contact in some demented healthy version of a taste frenzy, but no. I realized it is that deep rich moist pumpkin darkness (come to the dark side) that I crave (come to the dark side) so much that I am about to start hurting people if I don’t get it.
I am thinking, in retrospect, this is one of those times that maybe, a little delayed gratification has gone too far. I am actually scaring myself.
This pumpkin bread has cream cheese filling. Because, you know, there isn’t enough richness yet. (Kill me. Just shoot me and put me out of my misery).
INGREDIENTS:
Filling:
* 1 package (8 ounce) 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
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease two 8×4x3-inch loaf pans. 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.
Into another bowl, sift 1 2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside. Put pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, 2 eggs and 1 1/2 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat well. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the pecans or walnuts, if using.
Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of pumpkin batter layer and then pour on the remaining pumpkin batter.
Bake in preheated 325° oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely.
Pumpkin bread recipe makes 2 loaves.
FROSTING (icing):
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Mix together well all ingredients. Avoid plunging your fingers into the icing. No. Stop that! Frost (the pumpkin bread - what did you think you were supposed to frost. Your fingers? For goodness sake, stop it. Stop icing your fingers. That doesn’t count!) when cool.
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