Pumpkin Spice Bread

This recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Bread was adapted from my standard Pumpkin Bread recipe. The vegan version is slightly more dense but otherwise just as flavorful and delicious. To make the non vegan version of this bread substitute the 1/4 of banana (which you cannot at all taste) with 1 egg. This bread is good all on its own but is also great sliced and served with whipped cream cheese.


Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup mashed banana
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
- 1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. In a medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a separate large bowl combine the pumpkin puree and sugar until completely blended. Add the oil and mashed banana until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in its pan for 15 minutes or until you are able to handle the pan with your bare hands. Run a knife along the sides of the bread and invert the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. To store the bread, wrap it in plastic wrap and then again in foil to keep for up to three days.

Pumpkin and Spice and Everything Nice

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
The fragrance of pumpkin and spice baking in the oven was a pleasing premonition to the flavors of Thanksgiving soon to come. The aroma was in fact so pungent that my poor diabetic dog followed the cake around the kitchen with her noise high in the air. By mere smell both the dog and I could already tell how delicious this cake was going to be. Indeed our sense of smell did not lead us astray- the cake was moist and flavorful and paired wonderfully with orange scented cream cheese frosting.

Serves 12

Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 fifteen ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sour cream
Frosting
- 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 14 ounces powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract





Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Place the butter and sugars in a medium size bowl fitted for an electric mixer. Cream together on medium/high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and add the pumpkin puree. Add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream; beating until combined after each addition.
Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. Bake the cakes until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife alongside the edges of the cake and the pan, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. Remove the parchment paper. Invert the cake back onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese, butter, powder sugar, orange zest and vanilla on medium/high speed until smooth and creamy. Store the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use. Take out of the fridge 5 minutes before frosting.
Place one layer of the cake on a large cake plate or pedestal. Place about 2/3 cup frosting on the cake and use an off set spatula to evenly distribute the frosting. Place the second cake layer on top and use the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. The cakes can be made 1 day ahead of time, and individual wrapped in plastic before frosting. This cake will keep cover in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.