Pumpkin Ribbon Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Ribbon Bread is a bit unique but still filled with the flavors and scents of the season. This deliciously spiced quick bread includes an appealing layer of cream cheese filling and a fresh hint of citrus.

A Twist on Seasonal Flavors

Something a little different but still filled with the flavors and scents of the season – that’s what I was looking for when I pulled this recipe from my box.

Pumpkin Ribbon Bread seems to fit. Its flavor and texture offer a nice contrast to the other items I baked while using up a large can of pumpkin last week. This pumpkin loaf was also a hit with friends and family. It has an appealing smooth cream cheese filling, tastes less spicy than the other pumpkin breads in my recipe file, and offers a nice hint of citrus.

For me, this pumpkin bread recipe also brings back fond memories. It is handwritten on a recipe card by my sister-in-law, Mary Beth. We have spent many Thanksgivings together, in a variety of family settings all over the country. She always brings samples of wonderful recipes that feature pumpkin in an interesting way. She has shared pumpkin cookies and pumpkin soup as well as this unusual pumpkin bread.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin Bread

While waiting for the loaves to come out of the oven, I tried to remember which Thanksgiving we first enjoyed this bread together. A variety of fond flashbacks came to mind. I remembered snowstorms but also sunny after Thanksgiving dinner walks. Some years we spent the day after Thanksgiving joining other shoppers in the holiday rush. Other years we nested in our family circle and made crafts or baked cookies. It seems we enjoyed each other’s company whatever we were doing. It was just great to have that time to spend together.

Revisiting Pumpkin Ribbon Bread reminded me of how shared recipes bind us to holidays past and present. Not only the flavors but the scent of the citrus and spices, along with the ritual of baking, centers me in the warmth of seasonal traditions. It takes me on a wonderful journey that leaves me smiling about the places I’ve been and the places food can take us without ever leaving our own kitchen.

Maybe you won’t enjoy making this bread as much as I did last week but if you do make it this year, be sure to share it with friends and family. You may find that it will pay special dividends in the future when you remember times past! Happy Baking!

Pumpkin Ribbon Bread

Course: Bread, Breakfast, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Baking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

50

minutes

This deliciously spiced pumpkin bread includes an appealing layer of cream cheese filling and a fresh hint of citrus.

Ingredients

• Filling:

• 2 3oz. packages cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 Tablespoon flour

• 1 egg

• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel

• Batter:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin

• 1/4 cup water

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons soda

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or ground nutmeg

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions

• To prepare the filling:
• In a small bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and flour with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and continue beating until the ingredients are well combined. Stir in grated orange peel. Set aside.
• To prepare batter:
• Combine sugar, salt, spices, flour and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk pumpkin, vegetable oil, water and eggs in a medium bowl until well blended. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
• Pour 1/4 of the batter into each of two prepared 8-inch loaf pans. Carefully spread half of the cream cheese filling over each loaf. Cover the cream cheese layer in each loaf with half of the remaining batter to cover the filling.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until the top of the loaves are golden and spring back when pressed lightly in the center. (Or use the toothpick test.)
• When the loaves are done, remove them from the oven and cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before removing them from the pans. Allow loaves to cool completely on the wire rack. Store bread in the refrigerator.

Notes

• I can no longer find 3 oz. packages of cream cheese. Instead, I now substitute one 8-ounce package of cream cheese or the two 3-ounce packages in the recipe with good results.
• You may choose not to include the cream cheese stripe. I made a second batch with my son’s preferences in mind. I omitted the filling and sprinkled the top with chocolate chips and nuts. He gladly consumed the results!