Description
This rich and buttery pumpkin bread is packed with warm spices and luscious pumpkin flavor, perfect for an easy homemade treat any time of year. Moist and tender, it’s a delightfully simple recipe that yields a flavorful loaf ideal for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or ⅛ teaspoon table salt)
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, just pure pumpkin)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm milk (heated about 30 seconds in microwave)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a loaf or round cake pan by coating with butter or oil, then dusting with flour, or line with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer on high speed to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Add Pumpkin and Vanilla: Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently by hand just until all flour is incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
- Add Milk: Pour in the warm milk and stir gently to integrate it fully into the batter.
- Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake: For a cake pan, bake for approximately 45-50 minutes. For a loaf pan placed on a sheet tray (to catch any leaks), bake about 50-55 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Cool the Bread: Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a plate or rack. Let cool an additional 15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice and enjoy your rich, buttery pumpkin bread warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Do not overbake; a moist crumb on a toothpick is acceptable as the bread continues baking slightly while cooling.
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for best texture and flavor.
- Warm milk helps in creating a tender crumb and blends better into the batter.
- Room temperature eggs help create a uniform batter consistency.
- You can store the bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate to last longer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
- Category: Baked Goods, Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately)
- Calories: 229 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
