How do you guys feel about pumpkin? Are you all about the craze? Or totally over it? I love a good pumpkin recipe, but I'm not super nutso about it. I don't need to have every little thing pumpkin flavored. I was at Trader Joe's a few weeks back and they had everything pumpkin! Even dog treats! For me, it just sets the mood for fall. Especially those darn pumpkin spice lattes!
I was all set to make this bread a few weeks ago. On that very day, Darling Husband brought home a loaf of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips from Great Harvest. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate chips in my pumpkin bread, but wouldn't you know it, I think I ate the whole loaf myself! It was good okay?! But this bread? This bread might be giving Great Harvest a run for its money. It has that perfect pumpkin flavor with a layer of cream cheese running through the middle. I didn't add chocolate chips, but you sure could. The next day Darling Husband text me that the bread was good...success! Take that Great Harvest! (Just kidding, I love your bread)
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
from Pip & Ebby
Cream Cheese Filling
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pumpkin Bread:
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Prepare cream cheese filling:
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, egg, flour, and vanilla. Using a mixer beat on medium speed until all ingredients are smooth. Set aside.
Prepare pumpkin bread:
In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Gradually add dry ingredients, stir after each addition. Pour half the batter in prepared pan, spread cream cheese mixture over the top, add remaining pumpkin batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes in pan, then remove and allow to cool completely.
This is the bread you make when you want your house to smell like fall. I had to get it out of the house to stop myself from eating the whole loaf (see story above). Even if you're not a pumpkin maniac, you might want to give this a try. It may just change your mind...don't blame me though.
