Pumpkin Muffins + Bread with Cream Cheese Icing

This pumpkin bread (the recipe of which can be used to make muffins, too) is like a cross between a cake, bread, and a pumpkin pie. The contrast of rich, spiced pumpkin cake with the cream cheese topping and textural element of roasted pepitas is perfection. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family and I do!

Ingredients (2 mini loaves or 12 muffins)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 100g light brown sugar or comparable sweetener

• 2 large eggs

• 200g all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp corn starch

• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I use imitation)

Cream Cheese Icing Stuff

• 75g cream cheese, softened

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp heavy cream

• 1 tbsp roasted pepitas

Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.

2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder, and pumpkin spice.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamed and whippy. I prefer a hand mixer for this, but you can even use a whisk.

4. Add an egg and continue beating until incorporated. Then add the second egg.

5. Now add roughly half of the mixed dry ingredients into the wet (batter) and stir until nearly incorporated.

6. Pour the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla into the batter and stir carefully until fully incorporated.

7. Pour the remaining dry ingredients into the batter and fold until fully incorporated.

8. Pour the batter into two parchment lined (or greased) mini loaf pans or into a lined 12-cupcake pan.

9. In a small bowl, stir together the soft cream cheese, sugar, and heavy cream until you’ve got a creamy paste. Use a teaspoon to scoop dollops of cream cheese, and use a second spoon to shove/scrape it off and INTO the batter.

10. Bake the mini loaves in the oven for 30 minutes (if you’re baking muffins, about 16 minutes), or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.