Old fashioned pumpkin quick bread with cranberries, walnuts and ginger.

Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Bread

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

Welcome to the second day of Pumpkin Week!

Today I am sharing my recipe for old-fashioned pumpkin bread, which I have enjoyed for years. It makes two giant loaves, so you will have plenty to share with friends and to make new friends with.

I once made new friends with pumpkin bread. I was young and living with Bill at the time in St. Louis. I had some nice fresh pumpkin bread sitting in the kitchen. I was listening to my favorite morning show with Mark Klose and Ted Habeck which was on KWK at the time. And you know how spin jockeys are—complaining about this and  that and how hungry they were and how they wished someone would bring them something. And on a lark, I did.

But before you think I was nuts giving away pumpkin bread to disc jockeys, I did come away with an armful of music in return. So if I was crazy, I was crazy like a fox. The  funniest part was that neither of them looked anything like what they sounded like on the radio. I always thought Ted would be the taller one. Not!

I doubt any radio station is going to be interested in our home baking these days–the world is a far different place. But I am sure you can find someone who will happily gobble up this pumpkin treat.

And lest you think  I will keep all the music for myself, let’s share some of the music I was given the autumn day so long ago  over a slice and cup  of coffee. This story has been  35 years in the making. How time flies!

Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Bread

• Servings: 20
• Time: 1hr 30mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2-2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 16 ounce can solid-pack pumpkin (not pie mix)
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Liberally grease the sides and bottom of two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. If your pans are smaller, be careful not to overfill them. Use an extra pan, such as an oven safe ramekin.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate fully.
5. Add canned pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing into a smooth batter.
6. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder,  salt and spices.
7. Add flour mixture to batter gradually, mixing until it has been taken up.
8. Fold  in the walnuts, cranberries and ginger.
9. Divide batter among the two pans.
10. Bake for 70-75  minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed without wet batter. The type pan will likely dictate the time.
11. Cool bread in the pans ten minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on wire racks.

From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

Here are today’s #PumpkinWeek recipes:

Pumpkin Drink Recipes:

Pumpkin Spice Martini from Forking Up

Savory Pumpkin Recipes:

Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Roll from The Crumby Kitchen
Maple Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts from Love and Confections.
Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Bread from Palatable Pastime
Pumpkin Casserole with Roasted Marshmallows from Daily Dish Recipes
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Cookaholic Wife
Pumpkin Cookies from Making Miracles
Pumpkin Marshmallows from The Redhead Baker