Bake This Classic Pumpkin Bread Recipe

The ideal transition treat from a candy-filled Halloween to a pie-heavy Thanksgiving is a pumpkin bread. Pumpkin bread bridges the gaps between breakfast food, snack and dessert, so you can partake in its autumnal flavor any time of the day! Here’s my quick recipe for a pumpkin bread that could play nice with a bit of butter in the morning or perhaps a few chocolate chips at night.

Classic Pumpkin Bread
Yield 2 loaves

Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat together oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and water
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and vanilla, stirring to combine.
4. Spoon batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
5. Bake bread for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2″ into the top of the loaf doesn’t encounter any totally unbaked batter.
6. Remove bread from the oven and cool on rack. When it’s completely cool, wrap well in plastic wrap and store it overnight before serving.

More treats to make:
> Stuck with overripe bananas? Quick! Bake this simple banana bread.