The Best Pumpkin Bread

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and knew I just had to give it a go - does it live up to it's name as the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe Ever - it sure does, it is deliciously good, almost like a gingerbread but not quite.

The recipe is from Recipe Girl a favorite of mine as she does have some wonderful baking recipes, I'm always pinning.

The Best Ever Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
4 large eggs
*1 & 1/2 - 2 cups granulated white sugar (the recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar arghhh see note below)
1 cup canola or vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup oil & 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups pure (unsweetened) pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water

*The recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar which I find to be an incredible amount of sugar, the first time I made this, I only used 2 cups and the last time I made it, I only used 1&1/2 cups of sugar and I find that is more than enough for this recipe without losing any taste or sweetness.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans. You can use 8x5 pans too, but they'll rise quite high while baking.
2. In large bowl, or your stand mixer whisk together eggs, sugar and oil.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients together (flour through salt)
4. Add dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture to combine.
5. Add pumpkin and water and stir until combined.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe yields two loaves, and doesn't take long to devour. I put one of ours in the freezer and ended up taking it the next day as the first loaf was devoured in days.

You may also use 8 mini loaf pans- bake 45 minutes to an hour.

This bread freezes well. When cooled, cover with plastic wrap, then foil & freeze until ready to eat. It should keep well in the freezer for several weeks.

Source: Slightly adapted from RecipeGirl.com

Eggs, oil and sugar beaten together.

All the dry ingredients ready to be combined - all the spices together, smell truly wonderful.

My helper Ruby after combining all the dry ingredients together for me she careful added the dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Mixture after the pumpkin and water has been added. All ready to divided between the loaf tins

Ready to cook, mixture smells and tasted delicious - as tasted by Ruby, when I caught her sneaking off to lick the bowl clean.

Serve with a nice cup of tea and enjoy.

I have to say this bread is scrumptious, it is lovely and moist and the flavours so nice, you wouldn't even know it was pumpkin, as it is so close to tasting almost like a gingerbread bread.

We all love it in our family and I'm looking forward to making it for my mum when she comes over next week, I can imagine this will be lovely with some custard on top too.