Spicy Pumpkin Bread
The combination of these spices gives this quick bread a subtle flavor profile, with a slight finish similar to the flavor of red hot candy. This recipe is a keeper, perfect for the holiday buffet table.Ingredients:
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter softened; more for the pans
11-1/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. table salt or 1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. each: ground cloves, mace, allspice, and nutmeg
1-3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin (12.75oz. from a 15-oz. can of pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup buttermilk or scant ½ cup milk with ½ tsp. white vinegar stirred in
1 Tbsp. raw sugar/divided
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Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. (325 for dark pans) Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or two 4x8 inch metal loaf pans. Or use Pam for Baking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, mace, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, and black pepper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar gradually, then turn mixer to medium speed and continue mixing, stopping and scraping the bowl and beater as needed, until lighter in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute each. Add the pumpkin and mix until it’s evenly incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until well blended.
Stop the mixer and add half the flour mixture. On low speed (for either mixer), mix until the flour is almost completely blended and then add half the buttermilk and mix until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth. The batter will be thick.
If using mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among the four pans (the pans should be about two-thirds full). If using a Bundt or full-size loaf pans, spread the batter in the pan (again, filling the pan no more than two-thirds full.) Smooth the top of the batter. Sprinkle the top lightly with the raw sugar.
TBake on the center/middle rack, until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for mini loaf pans (60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 70 minutes for a full-size loaf pan). Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes. Then turn them out onto a rack, right side up, to cool completely.
