Classic Pumpkin Bread

Name: Classic Pumpkin Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda; ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder; ¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt; 2 teaspoons (5 g) pumpkin pie spice; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground cinnamon; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed; 1½ cups (340 g) pumpkin puree, plain canned (about one 15-oz can minus 2 tablespoons); ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or canola); ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons (18 g) raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) (optional); 1 tablespoon (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional); 1 teaspoon (5 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A moist, tender, deeply spiced pumpkin loaf with a crackly sugar-kissed top. It's made in one bowl and a whisk, and it stays soft for days.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr
Wait: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)

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Ingredients

10 servings

1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt
2 teaspoons (5 g) pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
1½ cups (340 g) pumpkin puree, plain canned (about one 15-oz can minus 2 tablespoons)
½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (18 g) raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) (optional)
1 tablespoon (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
1 teaspoon (5 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan

Equipment (7)

9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Wire cooling rack
Instant-read thermometer or wooden skewer

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs out 30 minutes ahead so they come to room temperature and mix in smoothly.
Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Plan for about 1 hour of baking plus at least 1 hour of cooling before slicing.

1
Prep oven and panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with the softened butter.
- Line the bottom with a strip of parchment that overhangs the long sides to use as handles.
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Ready when: Pan is evenly greased with no bare spots.
Tip: Parchment handles make the loaf easy to lift out without breaking the tender crumb.
2
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: No streaks of spice or clumps of leavener remain.
3
Mix wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar and brown sugar for 1 minute.
- Add the pumpkin puree, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Whisk for another minute.
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Ready when: The mixture is smooth, glossy, and uniformly orange with no visible oil pools.
Tip: Room-temperature eggs and milk keep the oil from separating.
4
Combine batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- With a rubber spatula, fold gently, scraping the bottom of the bowl, just until no dry flour is visible, about 15 to 20 strokes.
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Ready when: The batter is thick but pourable, with no dry pockets of flour.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing makes the bread tough and tunneled.
5
Fill and top
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Tap the pan firmly on the counter twice to release large air bubbles.
- Sprinkle with the pepitas and coarse sugar, if using.
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Ready when: Batter fills the pan about two-thirds full with a level surface.
6
Bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes, rotating the pan once after 30 minutes.
- If the top darkens too quickly after 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
- Insert a skewer into the center of the loaf to test.
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Ready when: A skewer comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, the center springs back when pressed, and the internal temperature reads 205°F (96°C).
Tip: A wet skewer means the center is underbaked. Bake 5 more minutes and retest.
7
Cool in pan
- Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes so the loaf firms up enough to handle.
- Run a thin knife around the edges, then lift the loaf out using the parchment handles.
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Ready when: The sides are set and the loaf releases cleanly from the pan.
8
Cool completely and slice
- Transfer the loaf to the rack and cool for at least 55 minutes more, until fully at room temperature.
- Slice with a serrated knife into 10 slices about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
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Ready when: The loaf feels neutral to the touch, not warm, on the bottom.
Tip: Slicing while warm gives gummy, crumbly slices.

Good to know

Tips

Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or weigh it. Packed flour makes a dry, dense loaf.
Measure the pumpkin puree accurately, because extra puree makes the center gummy.
For add-ins, fold ¾ cup (130 g) of chocolate chips or chopped toasted walnuts into the batter at the end. Toss them with 1 teaspoon of the flour first to keep them from sinking.
Ovens vary, so start checking at 55 minutes and rely on the skewer and temperature cues, not only the clock.

Make ahead

Bake the loaf up to 2 days ahead. Wrap it tightly once fully cool. The flavor deepens and the crumb gets moister overnight.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: wrap tightly and keep up to 3 days. Refrigerator: up to 7 days in an airtight container. Freezer: wrap whole or sliced in plastic and foil for up to 3 months, and thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. To reheat a slice, warm it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8 minutes or microwave it for 15 seconds.

Substitutions

pumpkin pie spice → 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. Homemade pumpkin pie spice. Use this mix in place of the 2 teaspoons.
neutral oil (vegetable or canola) → melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly. Gives a more buttery flavor but a slightly firmer crumb.
whole milk → buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with water. Adds mild tang and tenderness. Use the same amount.
all-purpose flour → 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Let the batter rest 10 minutes before baking. Bake time may run 5 minutes longer.