Recipe Time: Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

I have to tell you... Fall is my favorite season.  That's right, I am a pumpkin lover and I am so excited that "pumpkin spice" season is starting!  So of course, in honor of the cooler weather that is just beginning to come, I have chosen to share a pumpkin recipe:

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 eggs

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease your 6 cup Pumpkin Loaf Pan  and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine the following ingredients: 1 egg, pumpkin puree, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and beat at medium speed with a handheld mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well-mixed.

Next, add in the following dry ingredients: 1 cup of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and the salt. Gently fold it together with a spatula, being careful not to overmix.

Pour half of the bread mixture into the Pumpkin Loaf Pan.  

In another large mixing bowl, mix together the following ingredients: the other egg, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and 3 tablespoons of flour.

Pour the cream cheese filling on top of the pumpkin batter, spreading it around evenly. 

Pour the remaining pumpkin batter on top of the filling. Smooth it around, but be careful not to disturb the layer of cream cheese underneath.

Bake for approx. 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out mostly clean or with a couple moist crumbs (not wet). Cool for about 15 minutes, then very gently remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut into slices and serve!

Hope you enjoy it and Happy Autumn! :)