Pumpkin Pie Loaf
Prep- 30 minutes
Cook- 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves- 8-10
Oh, how I love this recipe! It was inspired by one in Dame Alison Holst’s big red book – I must have made it a kajillion times when I was growing up and that page of the book was all gummed up with loaf mixture. (I really hope that happens to you with this recipe.) I’ve added a few little flourishes of my own and ramped up the ginger and spices… someone actually said “it tastes like pumpkin pie in a loaf!” – that was good enough for me.
Ingredients
700g pumpkin (about 500g once peeled and deseeded)
125g butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 free-range eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp finely ground white or black pepper
To make
Preheat the oven to 160°C regular bake and set a rack just below the center of the oven. Line a loaf tin (about 23cm x 10cm) with baking paper so it goes up and past the sides by about a centimeter.
Peel the pumpkin, discard the seeds and pith and cut into even chunks about 4cm wide. Place in a small/medium saucepan, fill with water to just cover the pumpkin, cover with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain well. Either mash finely, press through a sieve with a spatula, or use a food processor to make a puree. Leave to cool. You need one generous cup of puree for the load.
Cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Sift the flour into another mixing bowl with the spices, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Sift half the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then fold to just combine, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides as you go. Gently fold through half the pumpkin puree to just combine. Repeat the process with the remaining flour mixture and pumpkin. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing; it will cut easier. Waiting may prove difficult, though. I love this loaf sliced and buttered with a piping hot Earl Grey tea. Yum!
TIPS
- To speed up cooling the pumpkin, spread it across a dinner plate and pop in the freezer or fridge.
- You can also microwave the pumpkin pieces on high for 5 minutes, with 1/4 cup water in a covered glass or ceramic bowl, if you like.
