Pumpkin bread is good on its own. Pumpkin bread with a stripe of sweet, tangy cream cheese through the middle is the kind of thing people ask you to bring back next year. It tastes like pumpkin bread and cheesecake had a very good idea together, and this pumpkin bread recipe with cream cheese swirl is the easiest way to get it right.
The problem is that cream cheese swirls are a little temperamental. Plenty of people end up with the filling sunk to the bottom, a big crack across the top, or a loaf that’s gummy in the middle because it’s hard to tell when it’s done. This recipe is set up to avoid all three, and it uses oil instead of butter, which keeps the bread moist for days.
Cook’s note: Take the cream cheese out of the fridge at least an hour ahead. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps in the swirl that won’t smooth out no matter how long you beat it.
RECIPE
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 220 g, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice see notes to make your own
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 g
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar 100 g, packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 120 ml
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 245 g, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 cup milk 60 ml
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 oz full-fat brick cream cheese 170 g, very soft
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 g
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment that hangs over the long sides.
- Make the swirl first: beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the sugar, egg yolk, flour and vanilla until there are no lumps. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, whisk both sugars with the oil and eggs until smooth and slightly thick, about 1 minute. Whisk in the pumpkin, milk and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible. Don’t overmix.
- Spread about 60% of the batter in the pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture down the center in a thick line, keeping it about 1/2 inch away from the sides. Cover with the rest of the batter, then drag a knife through it in 3 or 4 gentle S-shapes.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. After 40 minutes, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top so it doesn’t get too dark. It’s done when a skewer poked into the bread (not the cream cheese) near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, or the center reads 200°F.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift it out and cool completely on a rack, at least 2 hours, before slicing.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!How to Keep the Cream Cheese From Sinking
This is the number one complaint with swirled pumpkin bread. A few things help:
- Thicken the filling. An egg yolk (not a whole egg) and a spoonful of flour make the cream cheese firm enough to stay suspended in the batter. A whole egg makes it runny.
- Use more batter on the bottom. About 60% below the filling and 40% on top gives it a solid base to sit on.
- Keep it off the edges. Filling that touches the pan sides bubbles up and over, and it browns and gets rubbery.
- Swirl gently. Three or four slow S-shapes with a knife is plenty. Mixing too much blends the filling into the batter and you lose the stripe.
- Use brick cream cheese. The spreadable tub kind has more water and will sink.
How to Tell When It’s Done
The usual toothpick test is misleading here, because if you hit the cream cheese, the pick always comes out wet. Poke the skewer into the bread part, just off center. A few moist crumbs means it’s done. Wet batter means it needs another 5 to 10 minutes. If you have an instant-read thermometer, 200°F in the bread is the most reliable sign. Ovens vary a lot, so start checking at 55 minutes.
Why Oil Instead of Butter?
Butter gives more flavor, but oil stays liquid at room temperature and in the fridge. Since this bread has to live in the fridge because of the cream cheese, butter would make it firm and dry when cold. Oil keeps it soft and moist straight from the fridge, and the spices and brown sugar cover any flavor you’d lose.
What to Do With the Rest of the Can
A 15 oz can of pumpkin has about 1 3/4 cups, and this loaf uses 1 cup. Nobody tells you what to do with the rest. A few options:
- stir it into overnight oats or a smoothie
- make a batch of pumpkin spice syrup for your coffee
- whip up a pumpkin cheesecake fluff
- freeze it in an ice cube tray for next time
Or double the recipe for two loaves, which uses almost exactly two cans with a spoonful to spare. One for you, one to give away.
Common Problems
- Cracked top: totally normal for quick breads, it’s where the steam escapes. It’s usually where the cream cheese peeks through, which looks great.
- Gummy middle: underbaked, or sliced while still warm. Wait the full 2 hours.
- Sunken center: old baking soda, or the pan was opened too early. Check your baking soda by adding a pinch to vinegar. It should fizz right away.
- Dense bread: too much flour. Spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it.
Variations
- Streusel top: mix 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp cold butter, and sprinkle it over before baking.
- Nuts: fold in 1/2 cup of toasted pecans or walnuts.
- Chocolate chips: add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter (keep them out of the filling).
- Muffins: 12 muffins, 22 to 25 minutes at 350°F.
Storage and Freezing
Unlike plain pumpkin bread, this one has to go in the fridge because of the cream cheese filling. Wrap it well and keep it for up to 5 days. To freeze, slice it first, wrap each slice in plastic and put them all in a freezer bag. They’ll keep 3 months, and you can thaw one slice at a time at room temperature in about 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Bread Recipe with Cream Cheese Swirl FAQs
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree? Yes, but homemade puree is often wetter. Let it drain in a strainer lined with paper towels for 30 minutes first.
Can I use low-fat cream cheese? It’s softer and more likely to sink. Full-fat brick is best.
Can I make it in an 8×4 pan? Yes, but fill it only two-thirds full and bake any extra batter as a few muffins. Otherwise it will overflow. For more fall baking, try these apple cider glazed doughnuts or browse our bread recipes.
