Pumpkin Bread

A generous pumpkin loaf with a tender crumb and a crisp cinnamon-sugar topping. This recipe is adapted from Deb Perelman’s Pumpkin Bread on Smitten Kitchen, and it is legendary.

The Stuff:

Bread

• 1 Can (15 ounces / 1¾ cups) pumpkin purée
• ½ Cup (120 millilitres) vegetable or other neutral cooking oil, or melted butter (115 grams)
• 3 Large eggs
• 1⅔ Cups (330 grams) granulated sugar
• 1½ Teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ Teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ Teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 2 Teaspoons Never Not Eating Hawaij
• 2¼ Cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour

To finish

• 1 Tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf tin with a capacity of 6 cups using butter or nonstick spray.
2. Whisk the pumpkin purée, oil or melted butter, eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
3. Add the baking powder, baking soda,salt, and Never Not Eating Hawaij. Whisk thoroughly to distribute them through the pumpkin mixture.
4. Stir in the flour with a spoon, stopping as soon as it is incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and level the surface.
5. Mix the topping sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then scatter evenly over the batter.
6. Bake for 65–75 minutes, rotating the tin once for even browning. Check several places, including the centre and near the top: a tester should come out without wet batter.
7. Leave the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes before removing it, or allow it to cool completely in the tin so more of the cinnamon-sugar topping stays attached.

Notes

Tin size: Use a 6-cup loaf tin. The source recipe uses a tin measuring 8 × 4 inches at the base and 9 × 5 inches at the top. If your tin is smaller, reserve some batter for one or two muffins rather than overfilling it.

Muffins: The batter makes approximately 18 standard muffins. Bake for 25–30 minutes. For the topping, the source suggests 1½ tablespoons sugar mixed with 1½ teaspoons cinnamon.

Topping: For less loose cinnamon sugar, halve the topping quantities.

Variations: Mashed sweet potato or other squash can replace the pumpkin, but wetter purées may affect the batter and increase the risk of overflow. The source also reports success replacing half the flour with whole-wheat flour.

Storage: To help preserve the crisp top, the source recommends keeping the loaf in its tin with only the cut end covered in foil or plastic wrap.

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Pumpkin Bread by Deb Perelman.