Super moist & perfectly spiced cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread.
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cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread
Today we’re taking pumpkin bread to the next level. This pumpkin bread is seriously *so* moist and delicious and is lightly spiced with pumpkin pie spice. Then, it’s swirled with a super thick layer of not just cream cheese, but a cheesecake filling! The tanginess of the cheesecake pairs so well with the sweetness of the pumpkin bread, and it’s just all around such a delicious fall treat. Below you’ll find tips and tricks that (I hope) are helpful for making the bread, so let’s get into it!
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients:
It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they can easily incorporate with each other. Take out your cold ingredients about an hour before starting the recipe.
Mix the cake batter carefully:
It is super important to not overmix the cake batter or you end up with a tough and chewy cake rather than a light and moist cake. When alternating between adding the wet and dry ingredients, be sure to only mix just until the ingredient is fully combined and no more.
how to tell when your loaf cake is done.
It’s always a little game with telling if your loaf is done. Sometimes it will look done, but it’s still super wet in the center, and now that you’ve opened the oven door, you risk the loaf collapsing in the middle which is never desirable. I recommend waiting until at least 50 minutes to start checking for doneness. If the cake jiggles when you move it, it’s not ready to be checked on yet. When checking for doneness, you’ll want to take a long toothpick and stick it down the exact center of the loaf. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs, you’re good to take it out! If it’s still a little wet, put the loaf back in the oven, checking in 5-minute intervals for doneness.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread:
cheesecake filling:
- Cream cheese: the base of the cheesecake and what makes it tangy, rich, and creamy.
- Egg: binds the batter together.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness.
- All purpose flour: for thickening up the cheesecake. You can also substitute in 1 tbsp. of corn starch in it’s place.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
Pumpkin bread:
- All purpose flour: gives the bread structure.
- Baking powder & baking soda: helps the loaf rise.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the batter.
- Pumpkin pie spice: for flavor! I buy a blend but you can make your own, or just use cinnamon in it’s place if you’re not a fan.
- Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the loaf and adding flavor. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt in the batter.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetening the loaf and for keeping it moist.
- Eggs: for binding, moisture, and leavening.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: make sure the puree is 100% pure pumpkin and is not pumpkin pie filling! The only ingredient listed should be pumpkin.
- Whole milk: for moisture.
how to make cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread
Here’s a little bit of what the process of making this loaf looks like. The full recipe is at the end of this blog post!
- Beat together the cream cheese & sugar, followed by the egg, vanilla, and flour. Set aside.
- Beat together all of the wet ingredients for the pumpkin loaf in a large mixing bowl.
- Then, carefully fold in the dry ingredients.
- Layer the pumpkin batter and cheesecake in a loaf pan, then bake, serve, and enjoy!
cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread
recipe q&a
can I double this recipe?
Of course! I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results. Once you’ve doubled the batter, simply divide it up into two loaf pans to bake.
what size loaf pan do I need?
I tested this out in both a 1 lb. loaf pan and a 1.25 lb. loaf pan and they both worked. I would recommend a 1.25 lb. loaf pan just to be extra safe and avoid spillage. Also please note that I always use and recommend metal baking pans, and if you choose to use ceramic or glass, the baking time will likely be much longer.
How to store this PUMPKIN BREAD
Keep the cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will taste the best on the day it’s baked, but will keep well for up to 3 days.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 226 g cream cheese room temperature (1 c.)
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Pumpkin Bread
- 100 g vegetable oil (½ c.)
- 200 g granulated sugar (1 c.)
- 300 g pure pumpkin puree (1 ⅓ c.)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 55 g whole milk room temperature (¼ c.)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 240 g all purpose flour (2 c.)
- 2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and line a 9×5" loaf pan with parchment paper, to make a hammock for the loaf.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until it's smooth. Then, beat in the egg, and vanilla until well combined.
- Fold the flour into the mixture, then set it aside.
Pumpkin Bread
- To a large mixing bowl, add in the oil, sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until well combined.
- Add in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Carefully mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the loaf pan. Then, carefully pour the cheesecake filling over the pumpkin batter, and smooth it out into an even layer.
- Pour the remaining pumpkin batter over the cheesecake layer. Use a knife to swirl the batter a couple of times.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick/knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow the loaf to fully come to room temperature before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
Can I freeze this pumpkin bread?
Definitely! I’d recommend freezing individual slices to make the thawing process easier.
Love this recipe! It’s a big hit 🙂
Is it possible to bake these in multiple smaller pans?
Thank you so much Harley! You could definitely bake this in multiple smaller loaf pans, or I also have small batch pumpkin cheesecake muffins which are very similar to this, but in a smaller form! ☺︎
Thank you for commenting back! I have two more questions:
1. Do I have to refrigerate this?
2. Could I bake this without the cream cheeS?
Thank you ☺️
this was delish and it looks amazingggg !! superrr soft, the best pumpkin flavour 😀 i am OBSESSSEDDDD with this. all of erin’s recipes are always so amazing
i made the mistake of putting the cream cheese layer too close to the top so some slices the layer is right in the middle and some were at the top BUT that was my mistake still soo gooodddd!
I wanted a pumpkin bread that was sweet but not like sickly sweet. Something I could serve the kids as an easy breakfast or enjoy with a cup of coffee. I was hesitant since this only had two reviews, but it turned out SO nice and now we’re baking more for the freezer! 🙂
Ah thank you so much Abby, I’m so happy you guys liked it! 🙂
Can I use cream cheese from the tub instead of the block for the filling?
Hi Alexis! I wouldn’t recommend it since the cream cheese in a tub typically has slightly different ingredients & a different consistency than cream cheese bricks.
Perfect recipe !!
Thank you so much! 🙂