Fresh Pumpkin Bread

A while ago I bought a large pumpkin and I intended to turn it into puree for some recipes I love.  I planned to make this addicting Fresh Pumpkin Bread.  The hubby says he hates anything pumpkin but he asked me to make more of this quick bread.

Fresh Pumpkin Bread | Bakewell Junction

Have some for breakfast, toasted and buttered.  It’s oh so yummy.

I couldn’t resist making some of the batter in my mini bundt pan.  They turned out so cute and the powdered sugar adds a little elegance.  The end result is a little lighter in color than the quick bread because it bakes faster and lighter in texture because it’s a smaller amount of batter and isn’t weighted down as much.

This recipe came from an old friend and coworker.  She brought it to an International Luncheon we used to have at the company where we worked together.  It’s always nice to remember friends through food.

This bread isn’t overly sweet but it’s so moist and tasty.  I would suggest taking the pumpkin bread slices you intend to eat and put the rest away otherwise you might wind up eating the rest that’s in the plate, taking just one more slice at a time.  Not that that’s happened to anyone I know.  Um, no one…really.  And, isn’t it healthy to be eating so much vegetables anyway?

I used a large pumpkin for my puree and needed a better method of making the puree.  I know sugar pumpkins are supposed to be used for cooking but they were so small and were much pricier than the large pumpkin.  It’s difficult to cut up a large pumpkin into small enough pieces to fit into a large stock pot to boil it but I found a much simpler method on Robyn’s Add A Pinch blog which saved my fingers.  The hubby always says I’m dangerous with a knife so he was happy I used this recipe too.

Enjoy!

Fresh Pumpkin Bread

Yield:  2 9″ by 5″ loaves or 3 8″ by 3″ loaves                Cook Time:  75 minutes

Ingredients:

Batter:

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil (I used olive oil)
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, optional (I never use nutmeg due to the hubby)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

Garnish:

• powdered sugar for sprinkling
• butter, if toasting

Directions:

Step 1:  For the fresh pumpkin puree:  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place pumpkin (normally sugar pumpkins are used but I used a large 16 pound pumpkin and didn’t see any flavor degradation; I had to remove the top oven rack and set the bottom rack on the lowest setting to get the pumpkin to fit) on lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour.  Check with a knife to ensure it pierces the skin easily.  If longer baking is needed, bake and check in additional 15 minute increments. 

Step 2:  After baking, remove the pumpkin from the oven and let cool until it can safely be handled.  Depending on the size of the pumpkin, cooling time could be upwards of 30 minutes.  Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom, maneuvering around the stem.  Remove seeds and membrane, reserve seeds for roasting and discard the membrane.  Remove the pumpkin flesh and drain for a few hours or overnight.  In a blender or food processor, puree the pumpkin flesh in manageable batches by pulsing until it’s all pureed.  Alternatively, you can cut up the pumpkin raw, remove seeds and membrane and boil it in a large stock pot until soft; then follow instructions for draining and pureeing.

Step 3:  For the batter:  In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients and blend with an electric mixer (I used a hand held mixer) on medium.  Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.  Transfer to two 9 by 5 inch or three 8 by 4 inch greased or parchment lined loaf pans.  Alternatively, you can use the miniature bundt pans which results in about 18 mini bundts if the entire batch is used.  I made six miniature bundts and two 8 by 4 inch pans with one of my batches.  This batter should be baked on the bottom shelf because the batter overflowed like a volcano when I baked it on the top shelf.  For the 9 by 5 inch pans, bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60 to 75 minutes.  For the 8 by 4 inch pans, bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes.  For the mini bundt pans, bake for 25 minutes.  Test with a toothpick that comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Step 4:  Remove the pans from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Depan loaves and cool completely on a rack.  Serve with sprinkled with powdered sugar, if desired.  Toast slices and butter for a delicious breakfast.

Tips:  Store in a sealed container for a week.  For longer storage, cut into individual serving slices and separate with wax paper and freeze in Ziploc bags for a month.  Defrost individual servings as desired.  These pumpkin breads loaves make great gifts too.

Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin bread recipe is from my co-worker’s home recipe.
Fresh pumpkin puree is from Robyn’s at Add A Pinch’s recipe, Homemade Pumpkin Puree.

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