Pumpkin Bread with a Tangy Cream Cheese Swirl
A single cinnamon and nutmeg pumpkin loaf with small unsweetened cream cheese ribbons through the middle.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pumpkin Batter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup plain pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Swirl and Pan Preparation
- 4 ounces plain brick cream cheese softened and stirred smooth
- as needed oil for lightly greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat to 350°F and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.
- In another bowl whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla until even. Fold in the dry mixture just until no flour pockets remain.
- Stir the softened cream cheese smooth with a fork. Spread half the batter in the pan, distribute cream cheese in small teaspoon-size dollops, and cover with remaining batter. Make a few broad knife passes to form ribbons without blending everything together.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes or longer as needed until nearby sections of cake crumb test without wet batter. If the top colors first, tent loosely with foil.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then on a rack for roughly 60 minutes or until cool. Refrigerate promptly after cooling and cut into about 10 slices.
Notes
The swirl is plain softened cream cheese, not a separate sweetened egg-based cheesecake filling. The 70-minute cooling estimate may need extending for a warm center.