Try this Pumpkin Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter softened
- 1 15- ounce can 100% pure pumpkin (i use libby's)
- Carbohydrate 96.4922191546906 g
- Cholesterol 667.84166666501 mg
- Fat 103.898095578104 g
- Fiber 4.46926670667116 g
- Protein 26.729900911817 g
- Saturated Fat 62.0136265513003 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (506g)
- Sodium 58215.7999764949 mg
- Sugar 92.0229524480194 g
- Trans Fat 8.63210016074746 g
- Calories 1418 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Generously grease two 8 ½â€ x 4 ½â€ loaf pans.
- Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a bowl; use a whisk to mix well and set aside.
- In large bowl of an electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until just blended.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes.
- Beat in pumpkin.
- The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point -- that's ok.
- At low speed, beat in flour mixture until well combined.
- Turn batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let loaves cool in pan about 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.
- (If the loaves stick, run a plastic knife around the edges of the pan to loosen them.)
- Fresh out of the oven,the loaves have a deliciously crisp crust.
- If they last beyond a day, you can toast individual slices to get the same fresh-baked effect.
Standard quick breads often rely on a neutral oil base that yields a uniform, greasy crumb, but this spiced loaf uses softened butter creamed with granulated sugar to incorporate air pockets that support the heavy purée. Although historical quick breads emerged in American domestic kitchens during the mid-twentieth century as chemical leaveners like baking powder became widely available, modern versions frequently suffer from excess moisture that leaves the interior gummy and unbaked. Thorough beating of the butter and sugar mixture at medium speed creates a pale, fluffy matrix capable of suspending dense vegetable solids without collapsing.
Adding eggs one at a time ensures proper emulsification, preventing the fat from breaking prematurely when the wet purée enters the bowl. While the batter may appear curdled and grainy after incorporating the pumpkin, dropping the mixer speed to low before adding the flour prevents overdevelopment of gluten strands that would otherwise render the loaves tough rather than tender. Baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 65 to 75 minutes allows the interior to set fully before the exterior darkens excessively, and inserting a cake tester into the center provides the ultimate visual and tactile confirmation of doneness.
Home cooks needing to accommodate dietary preferences can substitute standard dairy ingredients with plant-based alternatives at a one-to-one ratio without altering the structural integrity of the spiced batter.
