Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

After a 4 month hiatus, I'm back to blogging. I don't know if it was the pregnancy, or just laziness for my lack of posts, but I've come to the conclusion that it's been long enough.

I can't promise an update everyday, or even every week, because my hands are kind of tied with my new bundle of Joy. His name is Max. : )

I have been blessed with so many gifts of food from family, friends and neighbors, that I thought I would return the favor and bake some pumpkin cream cheese bread for myself, and also for my neighbor who gave birth recently to twin boys.

I wanted to bake this bread last week, but what the heck, a canned pumpkin SHORTAGE kept me from that. I've never heard of such a thing, but apparently it's real. I was so thankful for the 2 cans I found at my local Kroger.

I found this recipe on line from the Joy of Baking, I loved the picture of the cream cheese swirl in the bread pictured so that was what helped me decide to go with this recipe. Not hard at all, this is a very simple quick bread that is a great gift, great with morning coffee, or for a snack. With it being fall it is just perfect.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Joy of Baking

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounce package (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pumpkin Bread:
1 cup (110 grams) pecans or walnuts
3 1/2 cups (490 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 - 15 ounce (425 grams) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup (120 ml) water or milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter and lightly flour two - 9 by 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pans. Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling: In your food processor, process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk until blended. Whisk or stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and nuts.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. (A few streaks of flour is fine.) Do not over mix as it will make the bread tough.
Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it evenly between the two prepared pans. Divide the cream cheese filling in half and place each half of filling on top the two pans of batter, smoothing the tops. Top with the remaining half of batter. Bake the breads for about 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Place pans on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing breads from pans. Can serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or else freeze for later use.

Makes 2 loaves.