Autumn is the perfect time for cozy baking, and this Autumn Harvest Pumpkin Bread brings all the warm, spiced flavors of the season into your kitchen. With aromatic spices and a moist, tender crumb, it's the ideal treat for cool, crisp days.
Let's break down what you'll need for this delicious pumpkin bread. Start with all-purpose flour, which provides the structure for the bread. To make it rise perfectly, we use a combination of baking soda and baking powder. The salt enhances all the flavors, while the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves gives it that unmistakable autumn spice profile.
Granulated sugar and light brown sugar add sweetness and a hint of caramel flavor, while the eggs provide moisture and help bind everything together. The star of the show is the canned pumpkin puree, which makes the bread moist and rich. Vegetable oil ensures a tender crumb, and a bit of water adds additional moisture. Finally, a splash of vanilla extract rounds out the flavors. If you'd like, you can add chopped nuts for some crunch.
This pumpkin bread is delightful on its own, but for a special treat, try serving it with a dollop of whipped cream or a smear of cream cheese. It's also lovely toasted with a bit of butter for breakfast.
First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). While that's heating up, take a 9x5 inch loaf pan and grease it well, then dust it with flour. This will help prevent the bread from sticking.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. This ensures that these key ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
In a large bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until they're well combined. This should only take a couple of minutes. Then, stir in the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract until everything is smooth.
Now, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix; you want the batter to be smooth but not overworked. If you're adding chopped nuts, gently fold them into the batter at this point.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula to even it out. This helps the bread bake uniformly.
Pop it into your preheated oven and let it bake for 55 to 65 minutes. You'll know it's done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps the bread set nicely.
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