KT Baked It: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bread

With Thanksgiving around the bend, the time for holiday baking is almost upon. So crank up the cardio, friends, because I'm beginning the baking season with a pumpkin bread that I grew up looking forward to my mom making this time of year: pumpkin cream cheese swirl bread. Yummy! I got this recipe from Taste of Home, one of my mom's favorite cookbook series. The recipe here is my version with a few alterations in the spices and without the walnuts, dates and raisin from the original recipe. The original recipe also provides a recipe for an optional frosting, which I did not make. This recipe is also great because it makes 3 loaves of bread, so you have plenty to share for the holidays.

What you need for the bread:















3 cups sugar
4 eggs
15 oz can of solid-packed pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
1 cup water
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg

What you need for the filling:
2 packages of cream cheese (8 oz each), softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

First, I made the filling. In a small bowl, combine all four ingredients with a hand held mixer. Set aside.















For the bread, begin by combining the sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water. Mix well and set aside.






























Next, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a separate bowl.















Slowly add the flour mixture to the "wet ingredients" and mix well.















Next, grease and flour three 8x4 loaf pans. Fill each pan with about 1 1/2
cups of batter. Next, divide the filling equally and place over the bottom layer of bread batter. Finally, divide the remainder of the bread batter and spoon over top of the filling mixture.






























Cook the bread at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for approximately 65-70 minutes.

Voila! Delicious pumpkin bread to start off the holiday baking season.