Zoe Francois' Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

by Zoë François
Total 1 hour and 30 minutes | Active 45 minutes
Makes about 15 bars

This pumpkin bread takes warm spices and combines them with creamy, rich pumpkin into a bread that pretty much blows all others out of the water. I crave this cold weather comfort food all season long. I like to bake it in a 9 x 13-inch pan, perfect to cut into squares to pack for school lunches or share with a neighbor.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread Batter

  • Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup (240 ml) mild-flavored oil, such as vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) evaporated milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • I can (15 ounces / 425 grams) roasted pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/4 cups (163 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (105 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pumpkin Pie Spice

  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C. Butter a 9 x 13-inch / 23 x 33 cm baking pan.
  2. Prepare the pumpkin bread batter: In a large bowl, mix to combine the oil, both sugars, and eggs. Add the evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree and mix to combine.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until it all comes together in a smooth batter.
  4. Prepare the pumpkin pie spice: In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Add one-quarter of the batter to the spice mix and reserve to create the swirl effect in the cake.
  5. Pour the remaining pumpkin bread batter into the prepared pan. Top with the pecans, if using. Add the spice blend-infused batter in stripes to the top of the cake. Use a knife to swirl the pumpkin spice blend into the batter in a decorative pattern.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Back to recipes