Pumpkin Bread and Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Who's ready for the fall season? This irresistibly moist Pumpkin Bread and Maple Cream Cheese Frosting is autumn on your plate. Everyone's beloved fall favorite gets a makeover with the most good creamy frosting infused with rich notes of maple syrup. Bonus, your kitchen will smell like hopes and dreams (ok, not really, but it will smell like cinnamon, and that's basically the same thing).

Pumpkin bread is a classic autumn favorite, and this recipe takes it to the next level. The addition of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger enhances the natural sweetness of the pumpkin creating a perfectly balanced quick bread.

But this isn't any ol' pumpkin bread. This one has a decadent maple cream cheese frosting that crowns the top of each slice. Creamy, tangy, and infused with the rich caramel notes of pure maple syrup this frosting adds an extra layer of indulgence to everyone's favorite fall treat.

So now that your mouth is watering, let's get baking!

Why you will love this recipe

• Tastes like Fall
• Easy to make
• Kid-friendly
• Makes a great hostess or housewarming gift
• Suited to breakfast or dessert
• Can be turned into mini loaves or even muffins
• Stores easily and can be frozen

What you will need

Here is what you will need to make this Pumpkin Bread and Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

• Flour All-purpose.
• Baking soda Helps with browning and that rise.
• Salt Balances out the sweetness.
• Spices we use a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. You can use pumpkin pie spice if you have.
• Eggs For richness and rise.
• Sugar Brown and white sugar.
• Milk we used 2%.
• Vegetable oil Keeps the bread moist.
• PumpkinPumpkin puree only- not pumpkin pie filling.
• Cream cheese Full or low fat.
• Unsalted butter For the frosting.
• Powdered sugar To sweeten the frosting.
• Maple syrup The real deal.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Step by step

Below is a quick visual on how to make pumpkin bread. Full instructions are located in the recipe card.

Preheat the oven to 350℉. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, combine your wet ingredients (your sugars will be added to the wet ingredients).

Whisk the wet ingredients until combined. Now add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients, and stir until incorporated.

Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray, and pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly.

Bake at 350℉ for 45-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool fully before icing the loaf.

While the pumpkin bread is cooking, make your icing. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and maple syrup, and continue to beat until smooth and thick. Set aside until ready to use.

Expert tips

• Ensure your batter ingredients are room temperature so that your loaf will bake with a consistent texture.
• When preparing the maple cream cheese frostingmake sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before beating. If not, you will without a doubt have a lumpy frosting!
• This recipe calls for a 9x5-inch loaf pan; however, you can also make it in a standard 8x4-inch loaf pan. If you cook it in an 8x4 pan, it will take longer to cook (closer to 1 hour and the loaf will be taller. The 9x5 loaf will cook in less time and produce a shorter loaf.

Substitutions and variations

• You can skip the cream cheese and make a simple maple glaze of confectioner's sugar and maple syrup.
• Try experimenting with the mace instead of nutmeg (they are cousins after all).
• Add ½ cup of chopped toasted nuts such as walnuts or pecans.
• Get seedy! Add ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds.
• Try adding some diced apples to the batter.
• Don't like frosting? Skip it, or add a tablespoon of turbinado sugar to the top before baking for some crunch.
• Add chocolate chips or raisins to the pumpkin batter for texture.

Storage and make-ahead

Cool the pumpkin bread completely before storing it. Once cool, wrap the entire loaf tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days, or store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 4-5 days.

The frosting can be made ahead and stored in a lidded container for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Kitchen questions

What is the difference between pumpkin puree and 100% pumpkin?

Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing. This means the product is steamed pumpkin made into a puree with no extra add-ins. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, is pumpkin with other additives such as sugar, spices, and preservatives. For this recipe, you want to avoid anything that says pumpkin pie filling.

Why is our frosting lumpy?

There are 2 main reasons your frosting is lumpy: cold ingredients and unsifted powdered sugar. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature before mixing. Try cutting them into smaller pieces to bring them to room temperature quicker and for easier mixing. Lastly, sift powdered sugar before using to avoid any clumps.

Love fall flavors?

Me too! Give some of these fall favorites a try:

Ingredients

Makes 10

Pumpkin Bread

• 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp Kosher or fine sea salt
• 1¾ tsp ground cinnamon ((if using pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices, use 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + ¾ additional cinnamon))
• ⅜ tsp (¼+⅛) ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ¼ cup milk, room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable oil

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz brick-style cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Equipment

• 9x5 loaf pan
• mixing bowls
• electric mixer or whisk

Method

Pumpkin Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugars until combined. Add the pumpkin, milk, and vegetable oil and continue to whisk until blended.

4. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until combined (no flour streaks remain). Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan, and bake at 350℉ for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting. (After 15 minutes, you can invert the bread to a wire rack to continue cooling).

5. When the pumpkin bread has cooled, spread the maple cream cheese frosting over the top using a knife or spatula, covering evenly. You can do a light or thicker layer depending on your taste.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a large bowl, combine the room-temperature cream cheese and butter. With an electric mixer (or a whisk), beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and maple syrup and continue to beat until light, fluffy, and thickened. Use immediately or store until ready to frost the bread.

Kitchen notes

Cool the pumpkin bread completely before storing it. Once cool, wrap the entire loaf tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4-5 days.

The frosting can be made ahead and stored in a lidded container for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.