Best Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Pumpkin bread is a classic in the fall season, and everyone gets a slice at Starbucks. How about making your own best pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting right at home? It's easy and delicious, perfect to share during fall, and will be ready in just a few simple steps.

Pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting dripping down the sides on a wooden cutting board.

Are you getting excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday? This tasty cream cheese frosting pumpkin bread is moist, full of pumpkin spice, and topped with a delicious silky smooth frosting. It's the perfect fall dessert to share with your closest friends and family during the fall season.

Why you'll love this recipe

Festive: Similar to our pumpkin spice coffee cake, and just like our pumpkin spice snickerdoodles, pumpkin pie twists, from scratch pumpkin pie recipe, and pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls, this cream cheese frosted pumpkin bread is full of pumpkin spice and perfect for sharing at Thanksgiving and during the fall season.
Texture: This is the softest, moistest pumpkin loaf with cream cheese icing that will melt in your mouth, and you won't be able to put your fork down!

Recipe Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread:

FLOUR: This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
BAKING SODA & BAKING POWDER: To help the bread rise.
GROUND CINNAMON & PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: For all that fall flavour!
SALT: To enhance the flavour.
PUMPKIN PUREE: Because more pumpkin is necessary.
GRANULATED & BROWN SUGAR: To sweeten things up.
VANILLA EXTRACT: Because everything tastes a bit better with a little vanilla.
VEGETABLE OIL and BUTTER: For the moistest pumpkin bread ever. Salted or Unsalted Butter.
EGGS: To provide structure.

Cream Cheese Glaze for Pumpkin Bread:

CREAM CHEESE: Whole fat cream cheese is used for the base of the pumpkin bread icing.
BUTTER: For giving the frosting structure and flavour.
POWDERED SUGAR: To sweeten up the frosting.
VANILLA EXTRACT: To add a hint of vanilla flavor and enhance the overall flavor of the pumpkin bread with frosting.

Kitchen Equipment

LOAF PAN: A 10 x 5 loaf pan is the perfect size for this pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing recipe.
MIXING BOWLS: For combining the ingredients.
HAND OR STAND MIXER: For mixing the ingredients.
MEASURING SPOONS AND CUPS: For measuring the ingredients.
SPATULA: For scraping the sides of the bowl while you mix and for scraping every last drop of batter and frosting.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Pumpkin Bread:

Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350° F or 177° C. Grease the loaf pan and line it with a piece of parchment paper in the pan with sides up for easy removal.
Dry ingredients: Combine and stir the dry ingredients including only the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix for 1 minute.
Combine: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
Bake: Pour the batter evenly into a loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Let the pumpkin bread completely cool before frosting and cutting.

Cream Cheese Glaze for Pumpkin Bread:

Mix: Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix until relatively smooth and then microwave until pourable and lumps are gone, about 10-15 seconds. Pour the frosting over the cooled pumpkin bread.
Serve: Let the frosting cool/harden before cutting.

Slice of pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting on a white plate with decorative white pumpkins and acorns in the background.

Expert Tips

Use parchment paper in the pan for easy lifting of the baked pumpkin bread.
Wait to frost until the pumpkin bread is completely cooled otherwise, the frosting will be thin and runny instead of firm and solid.
Wait to cut the pumpkin bread until the frosting becomes relatively solid. Pop the pumpkin bread into the fridge for 15-20 minutes to do or cut the next day.
Use clear vanilla extract if you want your frosting to be white. I personally like the cream colour so I use a dark vanilla extract. Both options are great.

FAQ's

Why does my pumpkin bread not rise?

Expired baking soda or baking powder or if you're using whole wheat flour. This may also happen by adding too much batter to your pan. Make sure you only fill ¾ of your pan.

Why does pumpkin bread sink in the middle?

The batter stood too long before baking; the oven didn’t reach the correct temperature before the pumpkin bread was placed in the oven, or the cooking time was less than specified.

Why does pumpkin bread crack on top?

This is completely normal. The surface of the bread often sets before the batter is finished baking. This causes it to crack.

What is a pumpkin pie spice alternative?

Make your own spice using cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

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