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Perfect Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread: Easy Fall Recipe

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This isn’t just another pumpkin bread recipe. The cream cheese swirl bakes into a soft, cheesecake-like ribbon that contrasts beautifully with the tender, spiced pumpkin crumb, creating a perfect marbled loaf every time.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (226g) block cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the two long sides. Lightly spray the parchment with non-stick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk for about 20 seconds to aerate and distribute the leaveners evenly. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined and slightly grainy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and a deep orange color.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few small streaks of flour are okay—overmixing will make the bread tough. The batter will be thick and slightly glossy.
  5. In a separate small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy—about 1 minute. Add the sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat again until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and free of any lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  6. Pour about two-thirds of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread it into an even layer using your spatula. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter—about 6 to 8 dollops. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese dollops, gently spreading it to cover as best you can. It’s okay if some cream cheese peeks through.
  7. Take a butter knife or a thin skewer and insert it straight down to the bottom of the pan. Drag it through the batter in a zigzag or figure-eight pattern—back and forth the long way, then once or twice the short way. Don’t over-swirl! About 6 to 8 passes is plenty.
  8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). If the top is browning too quickly (around 45 minutes), tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
  9. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then, using the parchment overhang, lift the bread out of the pan and transfer it to the wire rack to cool completely—at least 1 hour.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients matter. Let the cream cheese sit out for at least 30 minutes. Don’t overmix the batter. The swirl technique is everything—gentle, deliberate passes are the way to go. Check for doneness carefully; test in a few different spots. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, cream cheese swirl, fall recipe, pumpkin, cream cheese, easy, marbled bread

Find it online: https://lucastable.com/perfect-cream-cheese-swirl-pumpkin-bread-easy-fall-recipe/