Hands down, this is the best recipe for pumpkin bread I have ever eaten. This pumpkin bread is super moist, has a vibrant orange color and is totally easy to make. It’s my favorite cake during pumpkin season!
Homemade pumpkin bread is a fall favorite. You don’t even need a mixer to make it!
Homemade or canned pumpkin
There is a lot of pumpkin in this recipe because it adds flavor, moisture, and a vibrant color. I always bake this pumpkin bread with homemade pumpkin puree but canned pumpkin works too. I have noticed though that the homemade puree results in a brighter orange color.
To complement the pumpkin flavor, I add cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to the cake batter. But you can also use a store-bought pumpkin spice/pumpkin pie spice mix, which contains all the spices.
Pumpkin bread recipe
As mentioned above, you can use homemade or store-bought pumpkin puree. For the homemade version: Wash pumpkin, remove the seeds with a spoon, and then cut into wedges. If you want, you can peel it, but it’s not necessary with Hokkaido pumpkin since the peel is edible and softens quickly when cooked. Cut wedges into 1-1½ cubes.
Cook the pumpkin cubes in a saucepan with 1-inch water, covered, until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain pumpkin in a colander, then blend using a stick blender or food processor. Let the pumpkin puree cool a bit.
Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) top and bottom heat.
For the cake: In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, 1¼ cups (300 g) pumpkin puree, melted butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and whisk using a hand whisk. Add flour and baking powder and whisk until combined.
Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Optional: For a crunchy sugar-crust, mix 1 tablespoon sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the cake with the cinnamon-sugar.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 350 °F (175 °C) until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes. If you opted for the sugar crust: After about 15 minutes of baking – or when the cake surface dried out a bit (isn’t liquid any more) and is developing a crust – score the crust of the loaf lengthwise using a knife, for a beautiful crack that runs along the center. Continue baking for 40 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.
Let the cake cool. Enjoy!
More pumpkin recipes
Easy Pumpkin Bread (moist and vibrant)
Ingredients
- 1/2 small (450 g / 1 pound) Hokkaido pumpkin (or 1¼ cups/300 g pumpkin puree, fresh or store-bought)
- 3 eggs
- 1 stick butter (114 g), melted
- 1 scant cup sugar (200 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger*
- 2 cups + 3 tablespoons (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Sugar crust (optional): 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the pumpkin puree:
- Wash pumpkin, remove the seeds with a spoon, and then cut into wedges. If you want, you can peel it, but it’s not necessary with Hokkaido pumpkin since the peel is edible and softens quickly when cooked. Cut wedges into 1-1½ cubes.
- Cook the pumpkin cubes in a saucepan with 1-inch water, covered, until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain pumpkin in a colander, then blend using a stick blender or food processor. Let the pumpkin puree cool a bit.
For the cake:
- Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) top and bottom heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, 1¼ cups (300 g) pumpkin puree, melted butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and whisk using a hand whisk. Add flour and baking powder and whisk until combined.
- Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- Optional: For a crunchy sugar-crust, mix 1 tablespoon sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the cake with the cinnamon-sugar.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 350 °F (175 °C) until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes. If you opted for the sugar crust: After about 15 minutes of baking – or when the cake surface dried out a bit (isn’t liquid any more) and is developing a crust – score the crust of the loaf lengthwise using a knife, for a beautiful crack that runs along the center. Continue baking for 40 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.
- Let the cake cool. Enjoy!
