This easily made Pumpkin Loaf Cake is certain to become a family favourite. The fragrant, warming spices in the cake perfectly complement the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. Simple and delicious, this moist pumpkin loaf is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- It is made from store cupboard ingredients that you may already have on hand.
- The cake is moist, full of flavour and very easy to make.
- There is a gluten-free option; just use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
- Although it captures the very essence of autumn/fall, it is not just a seasonal treat, it is a cake that you will want to enjoy throughout the year.
- Nothing quite beats the aroma of the warm, fragrant spices as the cake is baking. There is a sense of pleasurable anticipation and the feeling of comfort and warmth in your home.
- As well, when you make a cake yourself, you can control the quality of the ingredients. There are no unnecessary preservatives or additives that may be in commercially prepared cakes.
- It is also one of the easiest cakes that you will make. The dry ingredients are mixed in one bowl, the wet in another, and then combined. It doesn’t come much easier than that!
Recipe Inspiration: I love pumpkin sweet treats and have been making this loaf cake for many years. The warm, fragrant spices in the Pumpkin Loaf say “fall/autumn”, but this delicious moist cake is so good you will want to enjoy it regardless of the season.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – a general use, versatile flour which does not contain a raising agent.
- Caster/superfine sugar – finer than granulated sugar, but you can use regular sugar if it’s what you have.
- Baking powder – one of the raising agents in this recipe.
- Bicarb/baking soda – the acidity of sour cream interacts with baking soda as a raising agent.
- Sea salt – a small amount of salt highlights the flavours in the cake.
- Ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg – these are aromatic, warm spices, all great companions with pumpkin.
- Pumpkin puree – use a commercial puree, or follow our directions to make your own Pumpkin Puree. Be sure to use puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Unsalted butter – our preference for baking so we can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla extract – for the best flavour, use vanilla naturally extracted from the bean and not artificially flavoured.
- Eggs – we use large free-range eggs.
- Icing/powdered sugar – we mix with water to make the glaze for the loaf cake.
Variations:
Pumpkin/pepita seeds – you could scatter some on top of the cake before baking for extra crunch.
Cranberries and chocolate chips – either of these would be a great addition to the cake.
Glaze – use orange juice instead of water.
How To Make Pumpkin Loaf Cake:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Combine the dry ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt with the ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and stir to combine.
2 – Combine the wet ingredients:
In a smaller bowl, combine the melted butter, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin puree and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3 – Combine the two mixtures:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. The mixture will be very thick.
4 – Add to your prepared pan:
Add the cake batter to your prepared tin, and smooth out using an off-set spatula. Tap the tin a few times gently on the kitchen bench to get any air bubbles out.
Bake in your preheated oven. Allow the cake to cool before you prepare your glaze.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Yes, you can. I have tested this recipe with a good quality 1 for 1 gluten-free flour, and it was very successful. Ensure the gluten-free flour blend you use contains xanthan gum.
Store the loaf in an airtight container in a cool, dry location for up to 3 days. If the weather is hot or humid, store in an airtight container in the fridge. Return to room temperature to serve.
Yes, it freezes well. For convenience, cut the cake into thick slices and wrap it in cling wrap. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. This way you can remove a slice whenever it suits you. If you can’t wait for it to defrost, you can give it a short time in the microwave and serve it warm.
To begin, use a piece of kitchen paper to thoroughly grease the base and sides of the tin. Butter is more effective than oil for this purpose as it adheres better to the baking paper, helping keep it in place. Then, cut a strip of baking paper to fit the base and go up the longer sides of the tin, with enough to have a small overhang, just enough for you to grip to lift the loaf from the tin. Leave an overhang of about 2 ½ cm (1 inch) on each side and trim the paper if necessary. Make sure the two small ends of the tin are greased with butter, so there is no risk of the loaf sticking. If you are unsure of your tin, cut two smaller pieces of baking paper to fit the ends and press them firmly to fit against the base paper.
Top Tip:
It is best practice to always have your ingredients prepared before you start and have them all at cool room temperature. This helps all the ingredients amalgamate smoothly, and the loaf will then have a moist, tender crumb.
It is important to not over-mix the batter; mix just until the flour is incorporated. Overworking the batter may result in tough Pumpkin Bread.
Serving Suggestions:
This simple quick bread is extremely versatile. Some suggestions are:
- It is ideal served for morning or afternoon tea.
- Enjoy it for a speedy breakfast or later for a leisurely brunch.
- It travels well, so take on picnics, to potlucks, or pack into a lunchbox.
- Enjoy as an after-school snack.
- For a delicious dessert, serve warm with our No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream and Salted Caramel Sauce.
- It also makes a very welcome gift for someone you care about.
This delicious Pumpkin Loaf Cake is easy to prepare, warming from the gentle spices and perfect for many occasions. I would love to hear from you when you have given it a try.
Alex xx
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Pumpkin Loaf Cake
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Loaf:
- 250 g (1 & ⅔ cups) plain/all-purpose flour See Note 1
- 220 g (1 cup) caster/superfine sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree – at room temperature See Note 2
- 120 g (½ cup) unsalted butter – melted and allowed to cool
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs – at room temperature
For the Glaze:
- 90 g (⅔ cup) icing/powdered sugar – sifted if necessary
- 4-5 teaspoon water – until desired consistency is achieved
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 degrees F).
- Grease and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin (23 x 13 cm) – leave a little overhang of baking paper for easy removal.My tin has a depth of 2.5 inches (6.35 cm).
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and stir to combine.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the melted butter, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin puree and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Add your wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. The mixture will be very thick.
- Add the cake batter to your prepared tin, and smooth out using an off-set spatula. Tap the tin a few times gently on the kitchen bench to get any air bubbles out.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until a skewer comes out cleanly.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the tin before gently removing to a cooling rack. I find it easier to slightly tilt the tin to the left over the rack and pull the paper as I gently ease the cake out.
- Allow the Pumpkin Loaf to cool completely before adding the glaze.Make the glaze by combining the powdered/icing sugar with the water until the desired consistency is achieved.Once the glaze has set, slice the cake into 8 pieces.
Notes
- Measurements: for the most accurate measurements when baking, we suggest you weigh your ingredients. We provide a cup measurement for the puree, as it is the volume that is more important in this instance.
- Pumpkin Puree: I use my Homemade Puree. Storebought can also be used – I like to dab the puree with some paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
- Storage: should there happen to be any leftovers, store them at cool room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. But if the climate is hot, store the container in the fridge.
- Freezing: wrap in cling wrap and then in foil or place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You may find it more convenient to freeze and wrap individual slices. Make sure they are well wrapped to prevent freezer burn and bring to room temperature for serving.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Leonie Lai
I’d love to try this recipe but I’m gluten intolerant. Can I replace the flour with the same amount of gluten free flour?
Alexandra Cook
Hi Leonie,
Yes, you can. I have tested this recipe with a good quality 1 for 1 gluten-free flour, and it was very successful. (My Mum is gluten intolerant, so we do a lot of GF baking!) Just ensure the gluten-free flour blend you use contains xanthan gum. 🙂
Let me know how you get on! Alex xo