Pumpkin Spice Loaf with Brown Butter Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Scale
pumpkin spice loaf
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (here’s how to make homemade pumpkin spice)
brown butter maple cream cheese frosting
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 pack (oz) cream cheese, (I used philadelphia)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar (or more)
- ½ tsp gorund cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp grround nutmeg
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Spice Loaf
- Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of an 8 1/2 by 4 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, eggs and canola oil until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin puree, buttermilk,and vanilla to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
- Sift the the flour, baking soda, salt and spice over the bowl with the egg mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg and buttermilk mixture. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350º for 50- 55 minutes or until the center is set and firm to the touch, and the cake is lightly browned and cracked down the middle.
- Remove and allow the cake to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Make the Brown Butter Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- To make the brown butter: Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan on medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure the butter browns evenly. You will cook until the butter takes on a nutty aroma & turns a toasty brown color. Remove the butter from the heat & transfer it & the milk solids (brown bits that settled on the bottom during cooking) to a heat-proof bowl. Allow the browned milk solids to settle to the bottom of the bowl, then place the bowl in the freezer. Chill until just firm (15 – 20 minutes). Carefully scrape the butter from the bowl, taking care to leave the browned milk solids in the bowl. Discard these solids.
- Meanwhile, sift the confectioner’s sugar into a small bowl.
- Place the brown butter, brown sugar, & maple syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
- Beat on medium-high until the brown sugar has dissolved & the mixture takes on a light color (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl & the paddle attachment as needed.
- Beat in the cream cheese.
- Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar. Continue to beat until the frosting is smooth. Add more confectioners sugar until the desired sweetness or firmness is achieved.
Assemble the Pumpkin Spice Loaf
- Place a thick layer of frosting on top of the loaf and spread it evenly.
- If you wish to firm up the frosting before serving, place the loaf in the fridge for 30 minutes and allow it to cool.
- Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds on top before serving.