This Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting is a moist, flavorful and delicious pumpkin and spice filled loaf that’s perfect for fall baking. Enjoy this pumpkin bread topped with a sweet, creamy and tangy cream cheese icing.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
From my Spiced Pumpkin Apple Bread to my Maple Apple Loaf Cake and Cardamom Pear Loaf Cake recipes, it’s easy to see my love for simple and cozy loaf cakes and breads. This pumpkin bread with cream cheese recipe is no exception. It’s filled with the coziest flavors and textures of the season. If you’re a fan of wonderfully moist and perfectly spiced fall breads, this recipe is for you. Here are a few reasons I know you’ll reach for this pumpkin spice loaf over and over again.
- Layers of flavors and textures: From the moist and spiced pumpkin bread, to the sweet, creamy and tangy cream cheese icing, this pumpkin loaf cake will delight your senses.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: This perfectly spiced pumpkin bread with frosting tastes like you just bought it from the best bakery in town. You may be surprised to learn just how easy it is to make! This quick and easy pumpkin bread with cream cheese recipe comes together with two bowls, a whisk and a loaf pan.
- Perfectly cozy and made for colder days. There’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying a slice of spiced pumpkin bread on a cool, crisp morning. This cream cheese frosted pumpkin bread will warm you up from the inside out.
Ingredients
This easy pumpkin bread with frosting recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s how you make this most delicious fall treat.
For the Pumpkin Bread:
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom spices.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather canola oil, canned pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting: Gather all cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and milk
Substitutions
This moist pumpkin bread with cream cheese is as easy to make as it is delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions.
- All purpose flour: To make this pumpkin loaf gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
- Baking Soda: A double acting baking powder is the best substitute for baking soda. The final texture of the pumpkin bread will be different, but it will still be delicious. Use 3 teaspoons (1 tbsp) baking powder in place of the baking soda.
- Ground “Fall” Spices: This easy to make pumpkin loaf is full of the perfect blend of aromatics to make this easy pumpkin dessert really shine. Feel free to use 2-3 teaspoons of Pumpkin spice, chai spice or apple pie spice in this recipe.
- Oil: Any neutral tasting oil will work well. You can also use ½ cup (113 g) melted and slightly cooled butter if you like!
- Sugars: This recipe calls for both granulated and brown sugars. All light brown sugar or all granulated sugar can work in this recipe.
- Eggs: This recipe wasn’t tested to be vegan or made without eggs. However, I have a great vegan Maple Pumpkin Coffee Cake. Just omit the streusel topping and cinnamon filling, pour the batter into a 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: You can use the same amount of fresh pumpkin puree if you have some on hand. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk: Use any milk you like.
- Cream Cheese and Butter: You can use dairy free versions of both to make the cream cheese icing for pumpkin bread. You can also use a store bought version like this one from Miss Jones Baking Co.
How To Make
This homemade pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing recipe takes a few easy steps from start to finish and tastes bakery worthy. Here’s how to make them:
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (170 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ground spices (or spice blend) and salt together until well combined.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Whisk well to fully combine with no visible lumps.
- Add in the dry ingredients to the wet.
- Whisk well to fully combine the dry and wet ingredients. The mixture will look similar to a velvety cake batter.
- Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drag the end of a butter or pairing knife down the center of the batter, just along the top. This causes a weak spot in the pumpkin bread. When it bakes, this spot creates a beautiful crack down the center of the bread.
- Bake the bread for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the moist pumpkin bread comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Cool completely before topping with the cream cheese frosting for pumpkin bread.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Pumpkin Bread
- Add the room temperature cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl.
- Beat on medium speed until the butter and cream cheese are fluffy and well combined. Pour in the vanilla extract, powdered sugar and 1 tsp milk.
- Beat the icing for pumpkin bread until smooth and well combined. If needed, add more milk for a glaze like consistency.
- Top or drizzle the cream cheese glaze or frosting to the completely cooled pumpkin bread.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- To store leftover slices of pumpkin bread without frosting: Place the pumpkin loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Then transfer pumpkin bread to the fridge for up to another 2 days.
- To store leftover slices of pumpkin bread with frosting: Place the pumpkin loaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze pumpkin bread with cream cheese: Individually wrap each slice of pumpkin bread in plastic wrap. Place each wrapped slice in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To thaw the pumpkin bread: The easiest and best way to thaw the pumpkin bread with frosting is to let it thaw slowly in the fridge overnight.
M's Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in moist and perfectly mixed pumpkin bread and smooth cream cheese icing for pumpkin bread.
- Don’t overmix the pumpkin bread batter: Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Spice it up: This spiced pumpkin bread has almost a full tablespoon of ground spices. The last thing you want is a pumpkin spiced pumpkin bread with no spice taste!
- Completely cool the pumpkin bread before icing it: If the bread is even the tiniest bit warm, the frosting will melt into a runny glaze faster than you can say pumpkin!
FAQ's
Absolutely!! Add 1 cup (140 g) of chocolate chips to this pumpkin bread right after mixing the dry ingredients into the wet.
Yes! You can bake this pumpkin bread batter in a circular 8-9 inch pan for 30-35 minutes. You can also bake this recipe in a muffin tin for about 18-20 minutes.
This can be caused by too much flour, overmixing the batter, especially once the dry ingredients are mixed in or over baking the pumpkin bread
The bread will be puffed up, there will be a crack down the center and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf will come out with a few moist crumbs. If you have an internal food thermometer, the internal temperature should read between 200-205 F.
Refrigeration helps to extend the freshness of the pumpkin bread. If the pumpkin bread has cream cheese frosting, it needs to be stored in the fridge. However, if the pumpkin bread does not contain cream cheese, it can be stored at room temperature.
Other Pumpkin Recipes to Try
- Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake
- Chewy Maple Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Gingersnap Icebox Cake
- Pumpkin Muffins from Cake Mix
If you try this Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9X5 loaf pan
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- 1 spoon or spatula
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp (6 g) baking soda
- 2 tsp (6 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (118 ml) canola oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
- 1¼ cup (325 g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting for Pumpkin Bread
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
- 1-3 tsp (5-15 ml) milk, as needed
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (170 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom (or other spice blend) and salt together until well combined.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk well to fully combine with no visible lumps.
- Add in the dry ingredients to the wet. Whisk well to fully combine the dry and wet ingredients. The mixture will look similar to a velvety cake batter.
- Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drag the end of a butter or pairing knife down the center of the batter, just along the top. This causes a weak spot in the pumpkin bread. When it bakes, this spot creates a beautiful crack down the center of the bread.
- Bake the bread for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the moist pumpkin bread comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Cool completely to room temperature. While the pumpkin bread cools, make the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Pumpkin Bread
- Add the room temperature cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until the butter and cream cheese are fluffy and well combined.
- Pour in the vanilla extract, powdered sugar and 1 tsp milk. Beat the icing for pumpkin bread until smooth and well combined. If needed, add more milk for a glaze like consistency.
- Spread or drizzle the cream cheese glaze or frosting to the completely cooled pumpkin bread. Slice and enjoy!
This looks really good . Plan on trying it very soon. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Heather, thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you enjoy this pumpkin bread!
It looks delicious! Please check your Notes. For storage both suggestions refer to bread WITHOUT frosting.
Hi Michelle, thanks for pointing that out. It's all corrected now. Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Instead of buying all the dried ingredients I bought pumpkin pie spice and then the cardamom, how much pumpkin pie spice would I use instead of the cinnamon etc
Hi Susan, I would use at least 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of pumpkin spice in place of the blend of ground spices listed in the recipe. If you prefer your pumpkin bread to be more flavorful, you can use up to 4 1/2 teaspoons of ground spices (like pumpkin spice), which is the total amount called for in the recipe. If your blend of pumpkin pie spice doesn't have cardamom, go with the amount listed in the recipe if you like that spice.