Recipe: Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Filling and Maple Drizzle

Even though its November, there's still time for pumpkin, right?

If you haven't gathered by now, one of my favourite type of cakes to make are loaf cakes. As simple or as fancy as you need, these guys are so versatile. I had some leftover homemade pumpkin purée and decided to make another variation of my favourite pumpkin bundt. So yeah, you've guessed it, I've made every different variation possible.

Spiced pumpkin loaf with cream cheese swirl and maple drizzle
(recipe adapted from Averie Cooks, makes 1lb loaf)

Spiced pumpkin loaf:

1 egg

260g pumpkin purée

80g soft light brown sugar

55g caster sugar

50ml vegetable oil

80g Greek yogurt

2tsp vanilla extract

2tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp ground ginger

1/2tsp ground nutmeg

150g plain flour

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

Cream cheese filling:

1 egg

115g full fat cream cheese

55g caster sugar

30g plain flour

1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 1lb loaf tin.
2. In a large bowl tip in the egg, pumpkin, sugars, oil, yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Whisk until smooth and everything is incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to remove any lumps.
4. Gently fold the flour into the pumpkin mix being careful not too over mix and set aside.
5. To make the cream cheese filling, whisk together the egg, cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth.
6. Pour two thirds of the pumpkin mix into the prepared loaf tin. Gently pour over the cream cheese and smooth. Finally, pour over the remaining pumpkin mix, smooth once again and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. A skewer inserted should come out clean.

To decorate, I mixed a little icing sugar with maple syrup and crushed over some walnuts.

NB baking times may vary depending on the water content of the pumpkin. I tend to find that homemade purée is much more watery than a can of Libby's.

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