SPICED pumpkin bread

Early October signals the magical transition of leaves from green to golden brown, the air gets crisp and fresh, the drinks get warmer and the sweaters get snugglier. Alongside this is of course, the spicy sweet scent of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in kitchens everywhere as pumpkins are harvested and baked into deliciously soft and creamy pumpkin bread. One of my staple recipes and something I try to make every year, this pumpkin bread recipe is something I learnt when I was 16 at a random cooking workshop in a baking tool store in Hong Kong. It has weathered the years and always yields the best gooey and sticky pumpkin bread with the perfect amount of light sweetness. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and Happy October!

Cooking time: prep 25 mins bake 60-70 mins
Serves 2-8 – makes two loafs

INGREDIENTS:

1 425g can of Pumpkin Puree (you can make it with fresh pumpkin but it will require some prep!)
2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Cloves
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
3/4 cup, 12 tablespoons, 150g softened Unsalted Butter
2 cups Brown Sugar (2 1/2 cups if you prefer your pumpkin bread sweeter!)
2 large Eggs

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees celsius. Prep your loaf trays with either generous spread of butter and flour or line with baking sheet.

2. Now in a mixing bowl, add in all your measured dry ingredients including Flour, Salt, Bicarbonate of Soda, Baking Powder and my favourite part – the ground spices of Cinnamon, Cloves and Nutmeg. This Pumpkin spice combo is when it really smells like Autumn baking to me! Give it a nice mix with a wooden spoon or whisk and set aside.

3. Now we move onto the wet ingredients! I used an electric mix and a tall bowl for these steps but you can easily hand whisk as well if you prefer. First beat your softened butter and brown sugar together until coarsely mixed in. Now adding one egg at a time, keep whisking to incorporate it into the mixture, it should start to smoothen, keep beating to allow it to get a little fluffy. Next, beat in the pumpkin and watch the mixture turn a gorgeous orange colour! Finally, slowly pour in your dry mixture and whisk on a slow speed until all mixed well.

4. Now pour your mixture into two loaf tins and place in your oven for 60-75 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top. Take out and allow to cool, and then serve! Best with a warm cuppa on the side.