The most perfect and moist Frosted Pumpkin Bread that is made with pure pumpkin puree, spices, and smothered in a delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting! It's the perfect bake for the start of the fall season.
Today is the first day of Fall, so to celebrate, here's a moist and flavorful Frosted Pumpkin Bread recipe. It's made with a spiced pumpkin loaf and smothered in a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It's not overly sweet, and has just the right amount of flavors!
If you love this Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting, then you're sure to love some of my other pumpkin recipes, like Biscoff Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Brioche Buns.
Jump to:
♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Moist Pumpkin Bread: This bread loaf is made with an entire can of pure pumpkin puree, oil, and milk. It has a ton of moisture and it gives the best texture!
Pumpkin Spices: Warm & cozy spices, this pumpkin bread is spiced with just the right amount of pumpkin pie spice and a cinnamon, and topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting that is a perfect pair!
Easy & one bowl: It takes NO effort to make this pumpkin bread recipe. Put everything in a bowl, whisk, and bake, just like my easy Carrot Bundt Cake.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: The frosting is speckled with a ton of cinnamon, creating the perfect pairing to the pumpkin bread! If you like Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, try my Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake.
📝 Ingredient Notes
The ingredients for this Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting are pretty typical. A few ingredient notes on each ingredient. Full recipe and measurements in the recipe card.
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Puree: An entire can of pumpkin puree is used in this recipe. Make sure it's pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains more ingredients than pumpkin puree, and has a ton of sugar. My favorite brand of Pumpkin Puree is by Libby's. You can also make your own.
- Flour: All purpose flour gives this cake the best crumb. Use a scale when measuring to get the best results.
- Spices: I use cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie Spice. You can make your own pumpkin pie spice as well.
- Baking Soda: Important to give the loaf. a rise.
- Sugar: I use equal amounts of brown sugar and granulated sugar. I really love using dark brown sugar, but you can also use light brown.
- Oil: Vegetable or any neutral oil.
- Eggs: Room temperature, large eggs.
- Milk: I love using whole milk in my recipes, but you can also use 2%.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese. Make sure it's cold out of the fridge.
- Butter: Softened, unsalted butter.
- Cinnamon: ¾ of a tsp, but you could add more or less.
- Vanilla & salt: Both are for flavor and to compliment sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: To sweeten and create a frosting texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Loaf Pan: You'll need a 9x5 loaf pan.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Mixer: You can use a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer for the frosting.
⇄ Substitutions
Spices: If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a blend of spices. Sally's Baking Addiction has a wonderful recipe to make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Brown Sugar: You can use light brown sugar in place of dark brown sugar. If you don't have any brown sugar, you can sub with all granulated sugar.
✨ Variations
Nuts: Adding pecans or walnuts in this cake would be delicious!
Chocolate chips: A chocolate chip pumpkin bread would be such a great addition, and give it such good flavor.
Crumble: You can add a crumble or a streusel instead of the cream cheese frosting.
Spices: Instead of cinnamon in the cream cheese, you can add pumpkin pie spice or chai spices.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting: Changing up the frosting to a brown sugar frosting like my Chai Cake would make an excellent pairing.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few process shots and written steps of how to make frosted pumpkin bread. The full instructions are in the recipe card.
Step 1
Add all dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
Step 3
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until just incorporated.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Step 5
In a bowl, add the room temperature butter and cream cheese and beat using a handled mixer for about 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and combined. Add salt, and the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until call is incorporated. Lastly, add the cinnamon and beat for a few minutes until smooth and fluffy.
💡 Hint: Let Pumpkin Bread cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will just melt all over the loaf.
💬 FAQ
No, because pumpkin pie filling contains extra ingredients and not just pure pumpkin.
This frosted pumpkin bread recipe is exceptionally moist, so if yours doesn't turn out moist, it could be for a couple reasons: you added too much flour, or you over baked the loaf. Always use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, and start checking the loaf at around 50 minutes since all ovens run differently.
Yes, you can. However, homemade pumpkin puree can vary in consistency, so I like to buy a specific brand of pumpkin puree that I know will always yield the same results.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly: As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Room temperature ingredients: When called for, it's always best to use room temperature ingredients. This helps the ingredients mix together properly.
Pumpkin Puree: An entire can of pumpkin puree is used in this recipe. Make sure it's pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains more ingredients than pumpkin puree, and has a ton of sugar. My favorite brand of Pumpkin Puree is by Libby's. You can also make your own.
Line pans: Prep your pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave an overhang for easy removal.
Correct pan: Make sure to use the correct type of pan. Baking with metal pans yields better results, and this Frosted Pumpkin Bread calls for a 9x5 loaf pan.
Don't over mix: Using a spatula or whisk instead of a hand mixer reduces the chances of over mixing, but once your ingredients come together, stop mixing.
Don't over bake: Start checking the pumpkin bread at 50 minutes to ensure you don't over bake. If the top is browning too much, lightly cover the loaf with a piece of foil so that it doesn't burn.
❄ Storage
Room temperature: You can store unfrosted pumpkin bread at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: Because of the cream cheese frosting, it's best to store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: To freeze, slice the loaf (frosted or unfrosted) and wrap each slice individually in saran wrap, then place in an airtight container or ziploc bag. Freeze for 1-2 months. When ready to eat, let defrost in the refrigerator overnight
📖 Recipe Card
Frosted Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- 1 9x5 loaf pan
- 2 large mixing bowls bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 handheld mixer
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin puree see notes (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¾ cup (150 g) dark brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup neutral oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 oz. block, full fat cream cheese cold, straight from the fridge
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave an overhang of a couple inches for easy removal once baked.
- Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients and set aside.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the whole can of pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, 2 eggs, vanilla extract, and milk and mix with a whisk until completely combined.15 oz. can of pure pumpkin puree, ¾ cup (150 g) dark brown sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup neutral oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup whole milk
- Combine: Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- Bake: Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Mine took about 65 minutes to bake.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a bowl, add the room temperature butter and cream cheese and beat using a handled mixer for about 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and combined. Add salt, and the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until call is incorporated. Lastly, add the cinnamon and beat for a few minutes until smooth and fluffy.4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, 5 oz. block, full fat cream cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- Frost the Pumpkin Bread, slice, and enjoy. Keep refrigerated.
The cinnamon cream cheese frosting is excellent and it really does go well with the pumpkin bread, which is very soft and flavorful. Going to make again soon.
Thank you so much for the review, Irina! I love adding cinnamon to cream cheese frosting, especially for fall bakes. So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Made two and they were all gone. So good!
Thanks for the review, Manda! So glad you loved the recipe! 🙂