This pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting will be your favorite fall treat with its warm spices, real pumpkin, and fluffy cream cheese frosting.
I don't get the urge to bake more in any other season as much I do in the fall. There's something about a crisp chill in the air which genuinely gets me excited to crank up the oven and bake my heart out. Maybe it's the football on TV, where you know you'll be inside for at least 3 hours (4 now with all these commercials!). It could also be the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger wafting through your kitchen. Whatever it is, my family and friends are certainly reaping the benefits and so am I.
One of my favorite fall treats is this pumpkin loaf complete with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. It's crazy moist (yes, I used the "m" word), soft in texture, packed full of pumpkin, and the kind of loaf you'll want to bake for others. It's that level of delicious.
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Why You'll Love this Pumpkin Loaf
I mean, what's not to love?! Here are all of the reasons this pumpkin loaf is one of my favorite fall treats:
- Perfect for fall. What's better than your kitchen smelling like pumpkin and warm spices?
- So easy to make. There's no mixer required for this pumpkin loaf until you get to the cream cheese frosting.
- Similar to my banana bread with chocolate chunks, this pumpkin loaf stays fresh for 3-4 days. It's a great dessert to feel confident making ahead and knowing it'll be delicious.
- Easily adaptable. Feel free to add chocolate chips or nuts. You can also leave the pumpkin loaf naked without the cream cheese frosting. (I highly recommend the cream cheese frosting though!)
This pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting is sweeter than my pumpkin chocolate swirl bread, which can totally pass for breakfast. This pumpkin loaf is a dessert through and through.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Pumpkin Loaf
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make a Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Loaf Variations
- Tips for Making Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
- Storage & Freezing Info
- Other Favorite Fall Recipes
- More Pumpkin Recipes
- Other Delicious Desserts
- Moist Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients Needed
The ingredient list to make a pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting is long, but don't let that scare you. A lot of the ingredients are the warm spices.
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves
- ground ginger
- salt
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- light or dark brown sugar
- pumpkin puree - make sure you don't confused between pumpkin filling and pumpkin puree.
- vegetable oil
- unsalted butter
- cream cheese
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
The recipe card below will provide the exact quantities.
How to Make a Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and both sugars together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin and oil. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together. Here is where you don't want to over-mix. It's okay that there are lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
- While loaf is cooling, combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add confectioner's sugar a little at a time while mixer is on low. Add vanilla extract and salt.
- When loaf is cool, top the loaf with cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Loaf Variations
Feel free to add in nuts (pecans and walnuts being my favorite) or chocolate chips to the recipe. Add ½ cup of your preferred topping.
I strongly encourage you to go the extra step and make the cream cheese frosting, but the pumpkin loaf is completely delicious even without the frosting.
Tips for Making Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
The cream cheese frosting is literally the icing on the cake (pumpkin bread). Follow these tips to make the best pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting:
- Use full fat cream cheese. Do not buy lite cream cheese or whipped cream cheese. You'll want to get the full-fat brick of cream cheese.
- Soften cream cheese and butter before using. I set my butter and cream cheese out on the counter a couple hours before I use it to make sure it's soft when it's go-time.
- Whisk you powdered sugar before adding it to the cream cheese and butter mixture. This is the lazy girl way of sifting your powdered sugar. It helps break up any clumps before it gets whipped in.
- Control the sugar. Feel free to add more or less powdered sugar depending on your sugar preference and your level of thickness.
Storage & Freezing Info
Store the pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting in an airtight container at room temperature. The pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Other Favorite Fall Recipes
- Apple Slab Pie with Puff Pastry
- Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
- Easy Homemade Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake
- Easy Caramel Drizzle -- I eat this stuff plain by the spoonful or with apples!
More Pumpkin Recipes
Other Delicious Desserts
Try these other dessert recipes you'll love.
Happy fall, y'all!
xox,
kathryn
Moist Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For pumpkin loaf
- 1 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg*
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves*
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger*
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil canola oil, or melted coconut oil
For cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and both sugars together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin and oil. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together. Be careful to not over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs, it's ready to come out.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and frosting.
- While loaf is cooling, combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add confectioner's sugar a little at a time while mixer is on low. Add vanilla extract and salt.
- When loaf is cool, top the loaf with cream cheese frosting.
Let Me Know What You Think!