Pumpkin Orange Bread

Autumn is the ideal time for pumpkin recipes, and I have a great one for you today.  This pumpkin bread is a bit different, with a brighter more pumpkin-y flavor.   Some years ago I made pumpkin bread using a standard recipe with ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon – really it was a pumpkin spice bread.  I just don’t care for ginger, so I started leaving that out and (to make cinnamon freak DH happy) doubling the cinnamon.  But with cloves and nutmeg and cinnamon, it is still a pumpkin spice flavor.  I wanted to have more of a brighter pumpkin flavor, and I think I have it with this recipe.

This bread has a fine, moist crumb, a nice crisp crust, and a more intense pumpkin flavor. The secret is reducing the spices, and adding orange zest.  The zest brightens the pumpkin flavor without taking it over.

So here is your method.  Gather your ingredients. My other secret ingredient is using part brown sugar.

Combine flour, sugars, spices, and leavening in a bowl. Sift or stir until no lumps from the sugars remain.

Grate one orange rind, then finely chop the zest.

You need about two tablespoons of zest, give or take a smidgen.

Add the zest to the flour mixture and mix in.

Measure the oil, add the eggs and beat slightly.

Add the egg-oil mixture and the pumpkin to the dry ingredients, all at once.

With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture gently until fully combined, scraping the bottom often to incorporate all the dry ingredients.

Pour into 2 loaf pans sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, until the loaves spring back when lightly pressed in the center. Let cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out loaves onto cooling racks and allow to cool.

Optional, if you like a glaze, use the orange juice with a little powdered sugar to make a glaze, drizzle over the bread after it has cooled. But, it really doesn’t need it, it is moist and delicious on its own.

This freezes very well.  I use zipper style bags for the ones I freeze for us.  Friends love getting a loaf of this bread for gifts!  Put into a decorative bag, and dress up with a pretty bow.

Are you getting hungry yet?

Serve a warm slice, just because you can! I love the end pieces.

3 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 orange, finely chopped
2/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 15-ounce can pureed pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare two loaf pans by spraying with no-stick spray. Combine flour, and next seven ingredients in a bowl. Sift or stir until no lumps from the sugars remain.  Zest one orange, then finely chop the zest. Measure the oil, add the eggs and beat slightly. Add the egg-oil mixture and the pumpkin to the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture gently until fully combined, scraping the bottom often to incorporate all the dry ingredients. Pour into 2 loaf pans sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, until the loaves spring back when lightly pressed in the center.  Let cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out loaves onto cooling racks and allow to cool.  Serve warm for a wonderful treat.  Glaze if desired.

Download the PDF file recipe – Pumpkin-Orange-Bread

I’ll bake a half dozen loaves of pumpkin bread between now and Thanksgiving, DH really likes it this time of year.  As you may have guessed, he likes it with a lot of cinnamon, LOL, but I dialed it back a bit so the orange zest could brighten the flavor.  A little variety is a wonderful thing!  Do you enjoy pumpkin bread?

 

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