Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
This Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Icing is moist, full of flavor and so easy to make! Made with pumpkin puree, applesauce, and a mixture of spices in addition to the cream cheese frosting, everyone will love this treat!
This pumpkin loaf is inspired by 2 different Starbucks treats: the Pumpkin loaf and the Gingerbread loaf. I’ve always thought that the frosting from the gingerbread loaf would be amazing on the pumpkin loaf…so I decided to make it myself!
Ingredients needed for Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
Dry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, nutmeg (fresh or ground), ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, sugar, confectioners powdered sugar.
Wet Ingredients: eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, applesauce, cream cheese, vegetable shortening (or unsalted butter).
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350° and prep the bread pan.
- In a mixing bowl add the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking powder, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
- Place the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in another mixing bowl and beat everything together with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and apple sauce and beat everything together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine with a rubber spatula instead of the hand mixer.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
What kind of Pumpkin to Use for Pumpkin Bread
You can use canned pumpkin puree from the grocery store or make your own. Check out my recipe Easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree and make your own in the Instant Pot. If you purchase canned pumpkin, make sure it’s pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling which has added sweetener and spices. You will be adding your own of both so you definitely don’t need more.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Icing
Place the cream cheese and vegetable shortening in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for another 2-3 minutes until everything is fully combined and the frosting is nice and smooth.
You can substitute unsalted butter for the vegetable shortening if you would like. I use vegetable shortening because it gives the frosting a firmer texture which works well on bread and is similar to the Starbucks loaves that were the inspiration for this recipe.
What Toppings To Put on this Starbucks Copycat
I used candied ginger on my pumpkin bread because I LOVE candied ginger and it adds a crunch and spiciness that works nicely with the sweet frosting. It’s also just like the Gingerbread Loaf!
If you don’t have candied ginger, you can make your own! Check out my recipe How to Make Candied Ginger and Ginger Syrup, you will love it! Below are some more ideas for what to put on top of the cream cheese frosting:
- pumpkin seeds
- toasted walnuts
- sprinkles
- sliced almonds
Pumpkin Bread and Cream Cheese Icing
Equipment
- hand mixer (or stand mixer)
- 2-3 med/large mixing bowls
- rubber or silicone spatula
- bread pan 9x5x3
- parchment paper
- non-stick spray
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg (or 1 tsp ground nutmeg)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¾ cup applesauce
Cream Cheese Icing
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (1 package)
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (OR unsalted butter)
- 1 cup confectioners powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Topping Ideas (optional)
- candied ginger
- pumpkin seeds
- walnuts
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350° and prep the bread pan with parchment paper and/or non-stick spray and flour. I used a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
- In a mixing bowl add the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking powder, and salt and mix together with a whisk or a spoon. Set aside.
- Place the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in another mixing bowl and beat everything together with a hand mixer. Once combined, add the pumpkin and apple sauce and beat everything together again.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine with a rubber spatula. This will make sure all of the ingredients are mixed together but you don't overmix and your bread be nice and moist.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, give it a tap on the counter to release bubbles, and bake for 50-60 minutes. Check with a toothpick and when it comes out clean, your bread is done. A darker pan will cook faster, my bread only took 50 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, you can add the cream cheese icing and any desired toppings.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Place the cream cheese and vegetable shortening in a mixing bowl and beat on medium smooth until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for another 2-3 minutes until everything is fully combined and the frosting is nice and smooth.
- Frost the cooled pumpkin bread using a slanted spatula or rubber spatula. Add toppings if desired and enjoy! Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- My favorite tool for grating fresh nutmeg is this mini grater complete with a little pocket to store your whole nutmeg seed. Not only does it work great, but it’s also small so it’s easy to store for any recipe that calls for nutmeg!
More Delicious Recipes to Try
- Caramel Apple Frosting
- Apple Lavender Galette Recipe
- Instant Pot Strawberry Cheesecake
- Easy Macaron Recipe for Beginners
- Coconut Fig Crumble Bars
Did you make this Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Bread?
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