It’s the most wonderful time of the year… time for PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. Starting with Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread.
Why is Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread the book-inspired recipe for My Dark Vanessa?
You might be thinking that Pumpkin Bread is a strange book-inspired recipe to pair with My Dark Vanessa.
And I guess you’d be right. I mean, My Dark Vanessa is HEAVY, and this delicately spiced autumnal treat is anything but.
However, Vanessa’s dark and twisted world is often pushed up against the background of a quintessential New England autumn: happy, laughing families wearing matching plaid shirts, crunching through fallen leaves, drinking apple cider, making memories for years to come…
The harsh juxtaposition between what Vanessa experiences and what goes on around her really got to me, and I decided I wanted a classic fall dessert for My Dark Vanessa. One that will lighten up your mood once you’re done reading this (excellent but intense) story.
‘Tis the season…
Really, though, it’s not like I need an excuse to make pumpkin bread. I’m all about the fall and the seasonal flavors it brings.
Yes, I’m that person who stocks up on canned pumpkin in August and shoves her first bread in the oven by September 1.
Why I love Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread
Like my beloved Zucchini Bread, Pumpkin Bread is a quick bread, which means no stand-mixer needed; just a whisk and a spoon. You practically dump all the ingredients into a few bowls, stir stir stir, and POOF! You have pumpkin bread.
Each bite of this crazy delicious treat explodes with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
ALL THE FALL FLAVORS.
My version has raisins – I love their sweetness against the spiced bread – but you do you.
If you’re staunchly anti-raisin, you can absolutely leave them out. Or, you could swap them for chocolate chips, which is Mr Tart’s favorite way to eat pumpkin bread.
Last year was the first year I rolled the Pumpkin Bread in cinnamon sugar, and now that’s what I will do every year.
It gives the dessert a little extra crunch, a little extra sparkle.
This recipe yields three perfectly sized loaves, so it’s perfect for making early in the season and freezing the extra loaves for later in the fall.
What do I serve with Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Raisin Bread?
I could eat ten slices of this dessert on all its own, but I suppose you need a meal come before dessert. For the ultimate fall menu, start with an appetizer of Apple Butternut Squash Soup and follow it up with a cozy, comforting main course like Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, Mushroom Risotto, or Sunday Night Chicken Dinner.
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Raisin Bread
Ingredients
PUMPKIN BREAD INGREDIENTS
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 – 1 cup raisins (optional)
CINNAMON SUGAR INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (optional)*
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- a few pinches of ground nutmeg
Instructions
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spray three 8×4 loan pans with baking spray and set aside on a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Add the pumpkin puree, water, and oil and whisk to combine.
- Add the 3 cups granulated sugar to the egg mixture and whisk until all ingredients are combined and smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, using a whisk at first to break up flour clumps in the batter but switching to a wooden spoon/spatula about halfway through. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until completely combined and batter is mostly smooth.
- If adding raisins, fold them into the batter now.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared loaf pans and bake at 350F for 30-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean.
- Cool the Pumpkin Raisin Bread in pan for 15-20 minutes, then run a butter knife around the inside edges of the pans. Tip the loaves onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. **
CINNAMON SUGAR DECORATING INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt butter and set aside.
- Whisk together the 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon until combined.
- Once pumpkin raisin bread loaves are completely cool, take one loaf and brush melted butter over the top, all sides, and bottom. Quickly sprinkle the buttered surfaces with the cinnamon sugar mixture, then let dry on a cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining loaves.
