Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

sliced loaf of pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing.

5 from 4 votes

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

We've taken the quintessential fall pumpkin bread and leveled it up with a swirl of homemade cream cheese frosting on the top. It's so delicious that I may have referred to it as cake a few times as I was testing it. This moist, flavorful quick bread is made in one bowl and mixed by hand. It's full of fall spices, has plenty of pumpkin in it and is a true treat with the cream cheese icing.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 401kcal

Author: Amanda Smallwood

Equipment

9x5 bread pan
large mixing bowl
medium mixing bowl
stand mixer or hand mixer
wire rack
measuring cups
measuring spoons
spatula

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Bread

2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups canned pumpkin one 14 ounce can
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup canola oil
⅓ cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Icing:

2 oz cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups confectioner’s sugar sifted directly into the mixing bowl
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Pumpkin Bread

Whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, salt and sugars in a large mixing bowl.
2 cups (260g) all purpose flour, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, canola oil, melted butter, milk, eggs and vanilla.
1 ¾ cups canned pumpkin, ¼ cup melted butter, ¼ cup canola oil, ⅓ cup milk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter may be a bit lumpy and that's okay.
Spray a 9 x 5 x 4 bread pan with cooking spray. Spread the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared bread pan
Bake pumpkin bread at 350° for 60-65 minutes - begin testing the bread for doneness at 60 minutes. Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the bread and be sure that it comes out clean. Be sure to check bread both in the middle and on the sides
Let the bread cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours, before frosting.

For the Icing:

Combine the softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla, sifted confectioners sugar and one tablespoon milk in the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to whip the frosting until it is light and fluffy. Add additional milk if the icing is too thick.
2 oz cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, 1-2 tablespoons milk

Notes

This loaf is dense, so it can look done before it actually is - check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a few different spots, especially the middle. If it doesn't come out clean, keep baking.
If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf with aluminum foil so the inside can finish cooking without the top getting too dark.
Be sure to sift the confectioners sugar for the frosting - it keeps the icing smooth instead of lumpy.
If you want to make this pumpkin loaf ahead of time, bake and store unfrosted in the refrigerator. Make the frosting on the day that you plan to serve it.

Nutrition