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Best Pumpkin Bread with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Swirl

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This incredibly moist pumpkin bread features a nutty brown butter cream cheese swirl that creates perfect tangy pockets in every slice. A simple swirl technique makes this fall favorite stand out from the crowd.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Saigon cinnamon)
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (for browning)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk (or ⅓ cup milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces cream cheese (full-fat, softened to room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for browning with the bread butter)
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the long sides.
  2. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts, foams, and turns a warm amber color with brown specks. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ½ teaspoon salt until evenly distributed.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients: In another large bowl, whisk together 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup packed brown sugar. Add the cooled brown butter and whisk until smooth. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  5. Fold the dry into the wet: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each addition. Stop folding as soon as no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick and slightly fluffy.
  6. Make the cream cheese swirl: In a small bowl, beat together 4 ounces softened cream cheese, the remaining brown butter (2 tablespoons), ¼ cup sifted powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour until completely smooth.
  7. Layer and swirl: Pour half the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the batter in 6 to 8 spoonfuls. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter on top and spread gently. Drag a butter knife through the batter in a zigzag pattern, then again perpendicular to your first pass. Make only 5 or 6 passes.
  8. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. At the 50-minute mark, start checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center—it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown and cracked.
  9. Cool completely: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then use the parchment handles to lift it out and transfer to the rack to cool completely. Wait at least 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are crucial—set cream cheese and eggs out 1 hour before baking. Don’t over-swirl the cream cheese; 5-6 passes is plenty. For best flavor, let the bread rest overnight before serving. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, brown butter, cream cheese swirl, fall baking, pumpkin recipe, easy pumpkin bread, moist pumpkin bread

Find it online: https://siennaspoon.com/best-pumpkin-bread-with-brown-butter-cream-cheese-swirl/