Go Back

Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting that stays moist and slices clean, baked until a toothpick comes out clean. Finished with a tangy, smooth cream cheese frosting for a dessert-like fall loaf that’s also great as breakfast.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin bread
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin bread
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, so the batter bakes evenly and releases cleanly.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt in a bowl until the spices are evenly distributed.
  3. Whisk the canned pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in another bowl until smooth.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, keeping the batter from becoming tough.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55–60 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool completely before frosting so the frosting stays thick and doesn’t melt.
Frost and slice
  1. Beat the cream cheese, unsalted butter, and powdered sugar until smooth, aiming for a thick, spreadable texture.
  2. Spread the frosting over the cooled bread before slicing.

Notes

For the most tender crumb, mix the batter only until the flour disappears—over-stirring can make pumpkin bread dense. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze frosted slices up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-free swap, use a plant-based cream cheese that softens well and blend with dairy-free butter.