Making the Basic Pumpkin Bread

If you’re an amateur baker, it’s always best to start from the basic recipe before jumping right away into any complicated version. I just realized this blog, which is all about pumpkin breads, do not have the basic recipe for pumpkin bread. What a humiliation! But now is not too late, it’s actually the perfect time to put it under the limelight since harvest months for pumpkins are ongoing.  Indeed, now is the  season for pumpkins and harvest starts from September, or sometimes, late August, up to October.

During these months, you can pick the best quality Halloween pumpkins to either star as Jack-O-lanterns outside your home or as the main ingredient in your Thanksgiving and Halloween dishes on your dining table.

Grab one and try making this basic pumpkin bread. Don't miss autumn without having a slice of this perfect fall treat. This pumpkin bread delicious on its own but it welcomes all kinds of variations. That’s the best thing about it. You may incorporate nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, or any ingredient you want to give an extra boost. For this basic bread, enjoy it with butter or cream cheese.

Basic Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup milk (any kind)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Note: You can use pumpkin pie spice as a substitute to all the spices.

Procedure:

Preheat oven 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices.

In another big bowl, beat eggs together with sugar until sugar melts. Stir in pumpkin puree, milk, butter and vanilla extract and then whisk until combined.

Add the flour mixture into wet mixture and stir until well blended and there aren’t any streaks of flour visible in the batter. Dispense batter into the greased baking pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife poked in the center comes out clean, or with very few moist crumbs attached.

Cool bread for several minutes in baking pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Variations to your Basic Pumpkin Bread:

Incorporate  3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts into your batter for pumpkin nut bread, or toss in 3/4 cup chocolate chips for pumpkin chocolate chip bread, or 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 2/3 cup fresh/frozen cranberries  to make pumpkin cranberry bread, or toss in some zest of one or two large oranges for orange pumpkin bread

For Americans, pumpkins are not just an ordinary vegetable. They are considered a reflection of the American spirit- a vibrant, generous, influential vegetable that struggles to draw out every possible nourishment from the ground. Pumpkins are a significant part of several western traditions. Because pumpkins become fully mature and are abundantly harvested during autumn or fall, they are closely associated with Halloweens and thanksgiving which are both celebrated in this vibrant season. Pumpkins have a wide variety of roles and uses. They could be Halloween’s spooky Jack-O’-lantern, or the main subject for festivities and competitions, or the great source of pumpkin seed oil and of course, the ultimate ingredient of thanksgiving dishes. 

Pumpkins' popularity extends beyond the world of culinary. One of the popular culinary preparations of pumpkin is pumpkin bread. Thanksgiving and Halloween are just a few months away from now. You can start planning out your thanksgiving meal or your Halloween party menu as early as today. You surely want pumpkins on your dining table in a form of a delicious loaf of bread. So make pumpkin bread and show it off on this year's Halloween parties and Thanksgiving gathering! This blog will show you how. It includes the best pumpkin bread recipe plus many significant facts about pumpkin!

Pumpkins and Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Enjoy these Pumpkin Facts!

Pumpkin is a vegetable that grows as a vine and creeps on the ground surface like that of the other vegetables belonging to Cucurbitaceae family. It is a close relative of cucumbers, squash and cantaloupes. It is one of the most popular crops around the world. Pumpkins are mostly cultivated in U.S.A where you can also find its top producers, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

Pumpkins appear in different shapes, sizes and colors. Giant pumpkins generally weigh 4-6 kg but are capable of reaching 25 kg. Golden nugget pumpkins are smaller varieties which are flat in shape, sweet, creamy and orange in flesh. Most pumpkins have an orange-skinned rind. But other varieties have dark to pale green, orange-yellow, white, red and gray skins. Inside the pumpkin is a hollow portion with numerous minute, off-white colored seeds scattered in a net-like structure.

Pumpkins Are Nutritious

Pumpkins contain small amounts of calories, providing 26 calories per 100 grams of fresh pumpkin flesh. They are cholesterol-free but a great source of dietary fiber and essential vitamins that act as antioxidants. Pumpkin is one of the best sources of vitamin A, providing more than 100% of the recommended daily amount for each 100 grams of pumpkin flesh. It is also a good source of Vitamins C and E, lutein, zeaxanthin, as well as of beta carotenes. All these nutrients are involved in maintaining the integrity and health of the skin, mucous membranes as well as in maintaining vision.

So if you want to experience all these amazing benefits of pumpkin, include them regularly in your diet. This doesn't mean you should eat them raw on a regular basis. Pumpkins are more fun and delicious when incorporated in a variety of dishes. They could be used as the main ingredient or as an additional flavoring. One of the delicious ways to consume pumpkin is through pumpkin bread. Make pumpkin bread by following this proven and tested, Pumpkin Bread Recipe.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin bread is probably one of your favorite quick breads to make in autumn. It can be a lovely part of your Thanksgiving meal or a delicious accompaniment of coffee during a cold Halloween breakfast. This recipe results into a yummy, moist, honey-colored bread. It is rich in pumpkin flavors as well as other spices that harmonize well with the sweetness of pumpkin. Another unique thing about this pumpkin bread is the cream cheese filling inside it which has a nice tangy flavor. This recipe makes two loaves of pumpkin bread.  

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:

     ·              8 ounce package cream cheese (227 grams)

•           1/2 cup granulated white sugar (100 grams)
•          2 large eggs
•          1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients:

•          1 cup pecans or walnuts (110 grams)
•          3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (450 grams)
•          1 teaspoon baking powder
•          1 teaspoon baking soda
•          3/4 teaspoon salt
•          1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•          1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•          4 large eggs
•          2 cups granulated white sugar (400 grams)
•          1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (226 grams) 
•          1 - 15 ounce canned puree pumpkin (425 grams)
•          1/2 cup water (120 ml)
•          1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 
  

 Note: If you’re using fresh pumpkin, and you want to make your own pumpkin puree, use the smaller pumpkin varieties. Start making the puree by cutting the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove all the seeds and the net-like structures, and bake with the cut-side facing down a greased baking sheet. Bake it for approximately 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. 

Scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor or blender to make the puree. Strain the puree through a cheesecloth placed over a container to extract all the juices. Save all the strained liquid. Allow to cool before using.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and set rack in the center of the oven. Grease with butter and lightly brush with flour two - 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pans. 

To toast nuts:  Bake the nuts on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes or until brown and sweet-smelling. Wait for them to cool, then chop coarsely.

Cream Cheese Filling: Place cream cheese in your food processor and process just until smooth. Stir in sugar and continue processing just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time while processing just until well-blended. Add the flour.

Make the Pumpkin Bread:  In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Stir in sugar and melted butter and beat until completely blended.  Add the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and nuts.

Combine the flour mixture and the pumpkin mixture. Stir thoroughly just until the ingredients are evenly combined but do not over mix as it will make the bread tough.

Divide the batter in half. Take one half of the batter and divide it again and evenly between the two prepared pans. Lay the first half of batter into one of the prepared pan,and the other half into the second pan.

Divide the cream cheese filling into two portions. Spread the first half of filling into the batter laid on one baking pan. Spread the other half into the other batter. Smooth the cream cheese filling evenly. Top each baking pan with the remaining half of batter (use two spoons to place small scoops of batter over the filling).

In the preheated oven, Bake the breads for approximately 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 

Place baking pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes to allow cooling. Gently remove breads from pans.

Serve pumpkin bread warm, cold, or at room temperature, and keep leftovers in the refrigerator or else freeze for later use.

More Recipes of Pumpkin Bread

Although pumpkins contain zero cholesterol and very less calories, classic versions of pumpkin breads are surprisingly high in fat because of the oil and sugar in them. But there's always a way to make them healthier and lighter. Learn from these videos how to make lighter pumpkin bread which are also healthier!These pumpkin breads fit your holidays very well. You can proudly serve them for Thanksgiving, Halloween and other holiday gatherings.