Easy Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup water or orange juice
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for filling)
- 1 large egg (for filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan thoroughly with butter or non-stick cooking spray. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper for even easier removal later.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until well combined. Set this mixture aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups of sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has started to dissolve.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet pumpkin mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the bread tough.
- In a separate small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy. A hand mixer works best for this step to ensure there are no lumps.
- Pour about two-thirds of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top. Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese layer. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the layers together in a figure-eight motion.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This helps the cream cheese layer set properly.