Pumpkin Cake Loaf

Tender and moist is this delicious Pumpkin Cake Loaf. So easy to make you don’t need a mixer.

Pumpkin Cake Loaf

Pumpkin Cake loaf is made with flour, sugar, eggs, a few spices and pumpkin. Sometimes made with fresh pumpkins and sometimes made with canned pumpkins. It has a very soft pumpkin taste with a delicious hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Its flavor will remind you of pumpkin spice and colored leaves.

This cake loaf is very popular during the fall season months which are September through November. But now thanks to 100% canned pumpkin you can make this pumpkin cake loaf any time of the year.

Here in the US, we may call this recipe a pumpkin loaf cake or pumpkin bread. But in the UK it is called Madeira cake. It was named after a wine called Madeira which was what was commonly served.

This cake loaf is so good you have it for breakfast along with your morning cup of coffee or tea. Great to eat as a quick and delicious snack. You can even serve this as a dessert with a nice ball of ice cream on top. Or you can serve it next to a glass of wine just like it was done in the UK.

Should I use fresh or canned pumpkin?

In reality, you can use either fresh or canned pumpkins. They will both give a great taste to your pumpkin cake loaf. It is more of a preference. If you opt to use fresh pumpkin then you’ll have to peel, cut, boil and mash it. Which is perfectly fine if you are not trying to make this in a rush. If you choose to use canned pumpkin, it is as simple as opening the can. Also sometimes it is a matter of not being able to find the fresh ingredient so you’ll have to use the canned version.

For me, it depends on what I am making. To make a pumpkin soup of a pumpkin flan I have always loved to use fresh pumpkins. This is because sometimes I prefer to roast the pumpkin for these recipes. But when I make cakes I like to go for the canned pumpkin. I’ve seen a lot of people only recommend Libby’s brand because other brands are more on the runny side. I use Libby’s because it is the only brand I have found so far so I don’t know about the others.

Why did my loaf cake split?

The reason for your loaf cake splitting is because of its density. But this is perfectly fine and it can look very delicious. But if you don’t like how the cake looks with a split in the middle you can pour some icing on top of it. Or add sugar on top. You can even add fresh fruits right before serving it.

What to serve with?

You can serve pumpkin cake loaf just as you would with any other cake. You can serve it in the morning next to a nice scrambled egg. Serve it as a snack simply by itself or a serving of fruits or cheese. Serve it as a dessert and top it with a little icing, frosting or a little bit of caramel.

Can I freeze my pumpkin cake?

You can freeze this cake loaf. You just need to make sure to let the cake completely cool. Once cooled, wrap the whole loaf with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Should you refrigerate pumpkin cake?

You don’t have to refrigerate the cake. It is perfectly fine to leave at room temperature unless it is summer and blazing hot. I like to keep it no more than 3 days at room temperature. I always make sure to cover it. It can be with foil, plastic wrap or by putting in a cake stand with a lid. If you want to refrigerate your loaf, wrap it and keep it for no more than 4 days.

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How to Make Pumpkin Cake Loaf

1. First mix your wet ingredients together.

2. Then you want to whisk the dry ingredients together until they’re well incorporated.

3. Now you want to mix the wet and dry ingredients. It doesn’t matter if you pour wet to dry ingredients or dry to wet. Make sure to mix all the ingredients until well incorporated. But you don’t want to overmix.

4. Last step you need to butter or line your loaf mold. Pour the batter in and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick through the middle of the loaf to check for readiness.

Ingredients

1. Pumpkin- In this recipe, 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree is used. You can also use fresh pumpkin to make the puree.

2. Oil- I used vegetable oil.

3. Eggs- This recipe calls for 3 eggs. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.

4. Vanilla- I used vanilla extract that goes very well with the spices in this cake loaf.

5. All purpose flour- I used 1 ¾ cups of flour for this recipe.

6. Sugar- In this recipe, I used white sugar but you can substitute it with brown sugar.

7. Baking Powder- The baking powder is used as a leavening agent.

8. Spices- I used cinnamon, ginger and allspice. If you prefer you can use pumpkin spice instead.