From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

This bread freezes well, so you can make this in advance. The recipe can also be halved easily.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread

• 1 can (15oz) solid pack pumpkin, not pie filling (ingredient list should only be pumpkin) You can also use 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (or 1 cup applesauce or ½ cup oil and ½ cup plain yogurt)
• 4 extra large eggs or 5 large eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• grated fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cardamom (or 2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice to replace individual spices)
• 2 1/2 cup Oonagh’s Gluten-Free Flour Mix
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup craisins – dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup golden or ordinary raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or other nuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick of butter, softened, unsalted if you have it
• 4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 of block) at room temperature (lite is fine, but it gives a softer texture)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 tbsp cream

Brown Sugar Frosting

• 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Put pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs, water and vanilla in large (8 cup) mixing bowl and beat well for 2 minutes until air bubbles are visible.
2. Stir all dry ingredients together, then beat in dry ingredients. Stir in fruit and nuts.
3. Pour into 2 well greased 9 x 5” loaf pans, or 2 six-hole mini bundt tins (bundt tins will be well filled). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes for loaf or 20-30 minutes for muffins/bundts. Cake should be well risen, dark brown (because of spices), firm at edges and pulling away from sides.
4. Remove from oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes, turn out onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Cake keeps fresh for quite a few days, freezes and microwaves well. If cake still feels sticky on side nearest to bottom of pan, then put it back in oven for about 10 more minutes.
5. Serve with cream cheese for breakfast or top with cream cheese frosting and brown sugar frosting on bundt cakes for a party.

Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions

Beat all frosting ingredients together until desired consistency. Add more or less sugar and cream to your preferred taste. If you used softened butter, then it will spread easily, but will need to be refrigerated in order to use a piping bag and decorative pipe. The cream makes it taste like melted vanilla ice cream, but you can get away with using milk.

Brown Sugar Frosting Instructions

1. In microwave or small non-stick pan, bring brown sugar, butter and milk to a gentle boil. Stir until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth.
2. Gradually beat icing sugar and vanilla into hot mix.
3. You can add red and yellow food color to make pumpkin orange.