Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Learn how to make the best whole wheat pumpkin bread with this easy recipe. This pumpkin loaf cake is made with whole wheat flour and topped with thick cream cheese frosting, making it an excellent easy fall dessert and also great for afternoon tea.
Servings: 10
Calories: 463kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 grams whole wheat all-purpose flour
- 12.5 mL pumpkin spice
- 5 mL baking powder
- 5 mL baking soda
- 5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 115 grams unsalted butter melted
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 2 large egg(s)
- 5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 350 grams pumpkin purée or strained homemade pumpkin purée
Brown butter cream cheese frosting
- 78 grams unsalted butter softened
- 125 grams icing sugar
- 250 grams Philadelphia cream cheese (full fat, regular) the kind sold in blocks or bricks (do not use the whipped, spreadable kind!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C). Butter and flour a 1-pound loaf pan, either a 9x5-inch (23x12.5x7.5 cm) loaf pan (like this Nordic Ware pan on Amazon) or for a taller loaf, use an 8.5x4.5-inch (21.5x11.5x7 cm) loaf pan (like this Oxo pan on Amazon). Line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spice mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla.
- Mix in the pumpkin purée.
- Add the whisked dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix until just blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The batter will be thick
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 75 minutes, testing the loaf with a cake tester to verify it’s done.
- Let the loaf cool for 20 minutes before unmolding on a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Cream cheese frosting
- To prepare the frosting, in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and the icing sugar, then incorporate the cream cheese. Mix just until you obtain a thick spreadable consistency.
- Spread the frosting generously over the top of the cooled loaf.
Notes
- This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
- To make the pumpkin bread, you will use the two-bowl mixing method just like for muffins and other quick breads.
- You can easily modify this recipe to include chocolate chips or dried cranberries (or raisins). Just add 1 cup of them to the batter before transferring to the loaf cake pan.
- The order you mix the ingredients for the frosting is key to getting the right texture without having to add more sugar. Please read about how to make thick cream cheese frosting if you are unsure.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 6316IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2mg
