Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with a Cream Cheese Swirl

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A dessert-grade pumpkin loaf: canned purée is cooked down in a skillet until it smells like pumpkin pie filling, then whisked into nutty brown butter and bloomed spices. A tangy cheesecake ribbon runs through the middle, so every slice eats like pumpkin pie and cheesecake had a very good idea together. Bakes in one loaf pan, tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 6 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine salt

• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (225 g), spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt

• 2 tbsp raw pepitas
• 1 tbsp turbinado or coarse sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, then line the bottom and long sides with a sling of parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side.
2. Make the swirl: in a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the 1/4 cup granulated sugar until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg yolk, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt just until glossy and lump-free. Set aside at room temperature.
3. Cook down the pumpkin: scrape the purée into a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula for 6 to 9 minutes, until it darkens by a shade, pulls away from the pan in a thick mass, and smells sweet and toasty. You should have about 1 cup. Scrape it into a large mixing bowl.
4. Brown the butter: in the same skillet (wiped out) or a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then keep cooking, swirling often, for 4 to 6 minutes until the foam subsides and the milk solids on the bottom turn deep golden and smell nutty. Immediately add all the spices off the heat and swirl for 15 seconds to bloom them, then pour butter, browned bits and all, over the pumpkin.
5. Whisk the brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into the warm pumpkin mixture until smooth. Let it sit 5 minutes so it is no longer hot to the touch, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla. The batter base should look thick, glossy and slightly caramel-colored.
6. Whisk the 1 3/4 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt together in a separate bowl. Add to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain, about 15 strokes. Do not beat it smooth.
7. Layer it: spread a little more than half the batter in the pan and smooth it level. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the top and spread it to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Cover with the remaining batter, nudging it gently to the corners. Drag a butter knife through the loaf in two or three figure-eights, no more, to marble the layers.
8. Scatter the pepitas and turbinado sugar over the top if using. Bake on the center rack for 65 to 80 minutes, tenting loosely with foil at the 45-minute mark once the top is deep brown. It is done when a thin skewer inserted into a batter-only section (avoid the cheesecake ribbon) comes out with only a moist crumb, and the center reads 200 to 205°F.
9. Cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the loaf out and cool completely on the rack, at least another 90 minutes. The swirl needs to set fully; slicing warm will smear it.
10. Slice thick with a serrated knife. Store covered at room temperature for 2 days, then refrigerate for up to 5 (it slices beautifully cold and is even better at room temp).

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

Blueberry Peach Buckle with Almond Streusel

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem