American
Molasses Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin purée, dark molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices make a moist contemporary American quick bread with a clean slice and burnished crust.
12 servings · 20 minutes prep · 65 minutes cook
Ingredients
Pumpkin Batter
- 15 ounces plain pumpkin purée
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons dark or robust unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Flour and Spices
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
Prepare the Pan and Dry Mix
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line the long sides and bottom with a parchment sling.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until the spices show no dark streaks.
Emulsify and Fold
- Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, eggs, oil, and vanilla for 1 minute until glossy with no oil beads.
- Fold the dry mixture into the pumpkin base in three passes, stopping as soon as the final flour streak disappears. Scrape into the pan and smooth the top once; repeated stirring will toughen the loaf.
Bake and Cool Completely
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, rotating after 40 minutes, until a tester in the central crack has moist crumbs but no batter and the center registers about 200°F (93°C). Tent loosely with foil if the top darkens before 50 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, lift out by the parchment, and cool on a rack for at least 75 minutes before slicing. The bottom should feel dry, not steamy or tacky.
