Pumpkin bread with frosting

Name: Pumpkin bread with frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups (220g) plain flour; 1 tsp baking soda; ½ tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 tsp my home made pumpkin pie spice mix (see notes or store bought); ½ tsp salt; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed; ½ cup (100g) white sugar; ¾ cup (180ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable); 1 ½ cups (340g) pumpkin purée (Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin or homemade – see notes); ¼ cup (60ml) milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 225g cream cheese, softened; 115g unsalted butter, softened; 2 cups (250g) icing sugar, sifted; 1 tsp vanilla extract; Pinch of salt

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It's soft, it's spiced, it's slathered with the creamiest frosting ever. This Pumpkin Bread with my Cream Cheese Frosting is everything I want in a fall bake - moist, full of cosy spice, and topped with a tangy-sweet layer that takes it to bakery status.

Full loaf of pumpkin bread with thick layer of cream cheese frosting decorated with pumpkin seeds and cut into slices

Perfect for an afternoon tea treat, a weekend bake for friends, or even as part of your Thanksgiving dessert table, this loaf is simple to make yet feels like a celebration.

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients for pumpkin bread with frosting
Instructions
Top Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Bread
Serving ideas
Recipe Notes
How to store this pumpkin loaf
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Related recipes
Pumpkin bread with frosting

Why you'll love this recipe

Super moist - The oil + pumpkin purée combo keeps it tender for days.
Perfectly spiced - Cinnamon and my pumpkin pie spice mix bring all the warm autumn flavours.
Make-ahead friendly - Even better the next day and stays fresh and delicious for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Crowd pleaser - That cream cheese frosting is irresistible!

Ingredients for pumpkin bread with frosting

Dry Ingredients for the pumpkin loaf

Dry ingredients for pumpkin bread measured and on kitchen bench including plain flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

Plain flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Ground cinnamon
Pumpkin pie spice
Salt
Brown sugar
White sugar

Wet Ingredients for the pumpkin loaf

Wet ingredients for pumpkin bread measured including eggs, pumpkin purée, oil, milk, and vanilla extract on a kitchen bench.

Eggs
Neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
Pumpkin purée (I use Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin available at Coles in Australia)
Milk
Vanilla extract

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting - (or see my recipe for small batch cream cheese frosting.)

Ingredients measured for cream cheese frosting laid out on a counter: cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Cream cheese - like Philadelphia cream cheese
Unsalted butter
Icing sugar
Vanilla extract
Salt

Ingredients for the pumpkin pie spice

Five measured spices for pumpkin pie spice mix arranged on a blue plate and labelled – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.

Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ginger
Allspice
Cloves

Follow link for full recipe for pumpkin pie spice substitute.

Instructions

Dry ingredients for pumpkin bread with frosting in a glass bowl.

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients into a glass bowl

Mixing dry ingredients for pumpkin loaf with cream cheese icing.

Step 2: Mix dry ingredients together until combined

Wet ingredients for pumpkin bread cream cheese frosting recipe in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients into a glass bowl

Whisking wet ingredients for cream cheese frosting pumpkin bread.

Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients until smooth batter

Adding wet mixture to the dry mix for pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting.

Step 5: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture

Folding wet and dry mixture into a batter.

Step 6: Gently fold until just incorporated

Step 7: Line loaf tin with baking paper cut to fit

Step 8: Pour batter in tin and bake on the middle rack

Removing the pumpkin loaf from the oven.

Step 9: Test doneness with skewer then remove loaf from oven

Using baking paper to remove pumpkin loaf from tin and place on cooling rack after baking.

Step 10: Lift loaf with paper and cool on a rack

Cream cheese frosting ingredients - Cream cheese, butter, vanilla and sugar in a bowl.

Step 11: Place frosting ingredients into glass bowl

Mixing cream cheese frosting with hand mixer for the pumpkin loaf with frosting.

Step 12: Beat with hand mixer until smooth and fluffy

Spreading the frosting over cooled pumpkin bread using a spatula.

Step 13: Spread frosting over the cooled pumpkin loaf

Finished pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting topped with pumpkin seeds on a marble serving board.

Step 14: Final pumpkin loaf topped with frosting

Top Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Bread

Whisk dry ingredients well before adding wet - this stops dense patches at the bottom.
Don't overmix once wet and dry are combined - just fold until no flour streaks remain.
Bake on the middle oven rack for even cooking.
Check with a skewer at 50 minutes - every oven runs differently.
Cool completely before frosting - otherwise the cream cheese frosting will melt.

Serving ideas

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the frosting for sparkle.
Add toasted pecans, walnuts or pepitas for crunch.
Serve as part of a fall dessert platter with spiced cookies and mulled cider.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is adapted from classic American pumpkin bread recipes, tested and tweaked for Australian kitchens - think Libby's pumpkin loaf, but with a softer crumb and a fluffier frosting.
For Australian readers: If Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin isn't available, use homemade pumpkin purée from roasted butternut pumpkin, drained well to remove excess moisture.

How to store this pumpkin loaf

Fridge: Store frosted bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze unfrosted loaf for up to 3 months. And thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why is my pumpkin bread dense at the bottom?

This usually happens if the dry ingredients weren't fully whisked in, or if the batter sat too long before baking. To prevent it, fold gently until no flour streaks remain, then get it straight into the oven. Also, always bake on the middle rack.

Why did my pumpkin bread crack on top?

A cracked top is actually a good thing! It means the loaf rose properly. The edges set first while the centre keeps rising, causing a split. If you want a smoother top, bake at 170°C instead of 175°C and cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

How do I know when it's baked through?

Insert a skewer into the centre - it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Start checking at the 50-minute mark.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of Libby's?

Yes! Roast butternut pumpkin until tender, mash or purée it, and drain off ALL excess liquid. Properly prepared homemade pumpkin purée works beautifully in this recipe.

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