Super Moist Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

The bread is soft, moist, springy, dense yet still fluffy, and it’s nicely spiced. The cream cheese layer that runs through the bread is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into pumpkin bread It’s an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes. I used melted coconut oil so there’s no butter to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps bread softer and springier than butter, and I prefer the taste. A little Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream) is extra insurance for a soft, springy loaf.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.

Step 2

Make the Bread Batter

Step 3

In a large bowl, add the the first ten ingredients, through ground nutmeg, and whisk to combine.

Step 4

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix; set aside.

Step 5

Turn about two-thirds of the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary; set aside.

Step 6

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

Step 7

In a large bowl, add all the filling ingredients and whisk to combine. Alternatively, mix with a hand mixer.

Step 8

Evenly pour filling mixture over the bread, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.

Step 9

Top filling with remaining pumpkin bread batter, smoothing the top very lightly with a spatula as to not disturb cream cheese layer and pushing batter into corners and sides as necessary.

Step 10

Bake for about 48 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Note this is tricky because the cream cheese never gets totally solid so the toothpick test isn’t the most accurate. *

Step 11

Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.