Pumpkin Loaf Bread

It's Pumpkin Loaf Bread time and today I'm going to share my secrets to making the softest and lightest pumpkin bread EVER! It doesn't involve complicated ingredients, just the regular ones for pumpkin bread but this method will give you the softest, most tender pumpkin bread you've ever tried! This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader.

A friend recently asked me what Pumpkin bread and I explained that it is like Banana Bread but made with pumpkin. It has the same delicious moreishness and moist, soft texture. It's also super easy to make in the Thermomix (even the icing!).

Tips For Making Pumpkin Bread

1 - This pumpkin bread is easy but it bakes for a long time so if you want to serve it for afternoon tea, I'd make it earlier in the day. It also requires some time in the freezer too.

2 - I based this recipe on the best ever banana cake recipe. This bread is so soft and tender and stays moist for days. The secret is baking it at a very low temperature and then putting it in the freezer just after it comes out of the oven which sounds crazy but trust me, it works!

3 - You can also use brown sugar instead of white sugar but the pumpkin bread will be darker in colour. I recommend that if you want to do this, sub half of the caster/superfine sugar for brown sugar, not the entire quantity.

4 - Pumpkin bread that is bright orange usually has colouring added to it.

5 - You can have this with or without the frosting, it's completely up to you. The advantage of having this uniced is that it can keep at room temperature.

6 - The uniced pumpkin bread keeps for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container. Once you add icing the pumpkin bread needs to be refrigerated where it will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

The smell of this pumpkin bread baking is amazing with all of the pumpkin pie spices coming out when it is in the oven. Smells are a big thing for me as I have a really strong sense of smell. It was hard waiting for this to cool down in the freezer as I just wanted to eat it! So just a little warning there ;)

Sometimes as a dog mum you become a bit obsessed with your dog and how amazing they are. I am Milo's biggest cheerleader. He is bonded to me and wherever I go, Milo does while Teddy always follows Mr NQN around. And I am always kissing him or nuzzling him because I absolutely love the way he smells.

One night I said to Mr NQN, "Milo smells like a fine dining restaurant!". He sort of looked at me and laughed because that's a very oddly specific thing to say. But sometimes Milo smells like Beef Bourguignon, sometimes, pineapple tarte tatin other times honey, saffron, matcha and even pate de fruits. And sometimes he smells like fancy hand wash like the kind that you get in fine dining restaurants. I guess toy poodles don't have a strong smell either way but I know that whenever I nuzzle Milo I'll get a whiff of something delicious. I've mainly said this to Mr NQN and he will admit that when I offer him Milo to smell he will actually smell that food too.

One day Monica came over. She was back from a few months overseas and Teddy and Milo greeted her with enthusiasm. I know I can tell Monica anything, even the craziest stuff, so I said to her, "Milo smells like a fine dining restaurant!" and I picked him up and gave her a smell of him.

"He does! Why? How?" she said. Monica never BS's me, we're too close for that. "I don't understand how he does, but he does!" she said, slightly perplexed about Milo's aroma. I mean Milo's fur probably picks up the aromas of whatever I am making but I prefer to think that he is just delicious on his own.

So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever think really weird thoughts? Do you say them out loud? What is your favourite baking smell?

Pumpkin Loaf Bread

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 25 minutes plus 1 hour chilling time

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

• 2 cups/300g/10.6ozs cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarb
• 1.5 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cup/280g/9.8ozs caster or superfine sugar
• 1 cup/250g/8.8ozs pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs oil (mild flavoured like canola)
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 90g/3ozs full fat cream cheese, softened, room temperature
• 45g/1.4ozs butter, softened, room temperature
• 1 cup/180g/6ozs icing or powdered sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Step 1 - Line a 19.5cm x 10cm x 11cm or 7.5x4.25x4.5inch or a 1lb or 450g loaf tin on the base and sides and preheat oven to 135C/275F (yes very low!).

Step 2 - Sift all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, bicarb, pumpkin spice mix and salt) together in a large bowl. In a large jug measure the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste and whisk until smooth and well combined.

Step 3 - Add the wet mixture to the dry one gradually to avoid lumps and mix until just combined. Scoop into the baking tin and bake for 1.5 hours turning halfway to ensure even browning. Then wrap in a couple of tea towels and place in the freezer for 1.5 hours.

Step 4 - Make the cream cheese frosting just after you put the pumpkin bread in the oven to give it time to set in the fridge. Sift the icing sugar and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth on high speed. Add in the icing sugar on low speed and once it is combined beat it on medium speed until fluffy. Add in lemon zest and beat to combine. Place in the fridge to firm up.

Step 5 - Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap and place on a serving plate. Spoon cream cheese frosting all over the top and smooth with a spatula. Serve in thick slices.

THERMOMIX DIRECTIONS

Step 1 - Line a 7x75x4.25x4.5inch or a 1lb or 450g loaf tin on the base and sides and preheat oven to 135C/275F (yes very low!).

Step 2 - Place the flour, baking powder, bicarb, pumpkin spice mix and salt in the TM bowl and set to turbo for 6 seconds. Remove and set aside. Then add the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste to the TM bowl and set to 15 seconds, speed #4. Add the flour mix back into the bowl and set to 10 seconds, speed #4. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 1.5 hours turning halfway to ensure even browning. Then wrap in a couple of tea towels and place in the freezer for 1.5 hours.

Step 3 - Make the cream cheese frosting just after you put the pumpkin bread in the oven to give it time to set in the fridge. Place the icing sugar in the TM bowl and set to turbo 4-6 seconds until no lumps remain. Add the cream cheese and butter and lemon zest and set to 15 seconds, speed #5. Place in the fridge to firm up.

Step 4 - Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap and place on a serving plate. Spoon cream cheese frosting all over the top and smooth with a spatula. Serve in thick slices.

Note: The uniced pumpkin bread keeps for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container. Once you add icing the pumpkin bread needs to be refrigerated where it will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container.