Description
This Southern Pecan Pie-inspired pumpkin bread is a moist and flavorful treat, perfect for autumn. It features warm spices, a tender crumb, and a luscious salted brown butter glaze that adds richness and depth, evoking the classic Southern pecan pie in a delightful loaf cake format.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour (1 2/3 cups; 225g)
- 1/2 ounce malted milk powder (2 tablespoons; 15g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs (3 1/2 ounces; 100g)
- 8 ounces pumpkin or butternut squash purée (1 cup; 225g), canned or homemade
- 5 ounces neutral oil (vegetable or canola) (2/3 cup; 140g)
- 4 ounces granulated sugar (1/2 cup; 115g)
- 4 ounces light brown sugar (1/2 cup; 115g)
- 2 ounces milk (any fat percentage) (1/4 cup; 55g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 2 ounces powdered sugar, sifted (1/2 cup; 60g)
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ounce unsalted butter (2 tablespoons; 30g)
- 1/2 ounce milk (any fat percentage) (1 tablespoon; 15g)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Oven: Grease an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and line it with a 7- by 13-inch sheet of parchment paper, letting it hang over the long sides for easy removal. Position the oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, baking soda, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin or butternut squash purée, neutral oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and sugars are dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gently add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk just until no dry flour remains, approximately 1 minute, being careful not to overmix to keep the bread tender.
- Bake the Bread: Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour, until the loaf is domed, golden brown, and a tester inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs or internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C).
- Cool the Bread: Place the pan on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet to catch crumbs and cool for 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges to loosen, then lift the loaf out by the parchment sling. Remove parchment and return loaf to the rack.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a small heatproof bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Brown the Butter: Melt unsalted butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase to medium and simmer while stirring continuously, allowing the butter to foam, pop, and turn golden with chestnut brown milk solids, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Finish the Glaze: Add milk, vanilla extract, and browned butter solids to the powdered sugar mixture. Whisk vigorously until smooth, yielding about 3 ounces (1/3 cup; 80g) glaze.
- Glaze the Loaf: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled pumpkin bread, letting it drip naturally. Let set for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve: Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy this moist spiced bread with its rich salted brown butter glaze.
Notes
- Use a neutral-flavored oil like vegetable or canola to keep the flavor balanced.
- Ensure not to overmix the batter to maintain a tender crumb.
- The glaze adds a rich, nutty flavor complementing the spices.
- For best results, use fresh spices to maximize aroma and depth.
- Loaf pan size is important; using the specified size ensures proper baking time and texture.
