Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream
I dare you to look at the spiced buttercream icing slathered on top of this loaf of bread and not want to make this recipe. I have to admit that the icing is what did me in. As soon as I saw it, almost an inch thick, in the pictures of this post by Oh She Glows, I knew I had to make this bread. What can I say, I really love icing. 🙂
My icing is clearly fairly soft in these pictures. Actually, it’s slowly melting off the bread. I was running out of daylight to take pictures and ended up icing the bread before it was completely cool. It made a mess, but still tasted absolutely amazing. 🙂 The bread itself is moist and dense with a great flavor mix of pumpkin and gingerbread. Add the spiced buttercream, which is like Fall in icing form, and you have a winning loaf of bread. This would make a great accompaniment to your Thanksgiving dinner, either as side or as dessert. The bread is good enough that you could even serve it without the icing…but I don’t know why you would want to. 🙂
Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream
Ingredients:
Pumpkin Gingerbread
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
Spiced Buttercream Icing
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp milk or cream (you might need more or less depending on the texture you want.)
Directions:
For the pumpkin gingerbread: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a regular sized loaf pan and set aside. Combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, sugar, oil, molasses and egg in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir well. Stir in the toasted nuts. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth out with wet spoon, and bake for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For the spiced buttercream: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add in the sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. Add the milk or cream, in small amounts and beat on high until the icing is the consistency you want. Spread on cooled gingerbread.
adapted from Oh She Glows
Welcome! I'm Megan and it's my hope that here you'll find food that has been made with love and recipes that are shared with joy. Thanks for stopping by! 
Just when I thought I had my Bible study dessert all narrowed down for the week (to 4 choices!), now I have to add another. This looks fabulous, Megan! I love the spices, pumpkin and gingerbread together.
This bread sounds beyond amazing! The frosting is killing me…in a good way 🙂
The most perfect pumpkin of any kind bread I’ve ever seen. Stumbling this right now!
I would love a huge slice of that! Everything about it sounds delicious.
That buttercream DEFINITELY makes me want to make this recipe. Great Thanksgiving idea.
This sounds soooooo good! I fall a little short in the baking department so I will be adding this one to my box of tricks!
OH, this looks awesome!!! Great pictures too!
Oh my goodness that looks delicious!!!!!!! Definitely putting it on my “to make” list for next time I’m home from college! 😉
This looks so good! I think I will make this for a Thanksgiving Dessert!
Looks absolutely fabulous! I like the butter cream.
Oh wow, what a treat
Wow pumpkin gingerbread sounds amazing! That frosting looks fabulous too!
Love the flavors of this bread!
I’m sold at spiced buttercream but the bread looks so moist and delicious. This is beautiful!
That frosting looks beautiful! Actually the whole thing does…but I agree that the icing is what makes me want to make this!
Love these fall flavors!!
I just want to lick the frosting off, it looks so amazing!
This cake just screams everything I love about fall…fantastic!
Wonderful flavors, Megan. The buttercream is perfect!
I have never made a spiced buttercream before. Looks like I found my kitchen project for this weekend. Looks so delicious Megan.
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I love your blog, and this recipe just made my week. I made it yesterday for some people coming over and everyone (including myself) loved it. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful recipes!
Thanks so much for your kind comment Elissa! I’m glad you enjoyed the bread! 🙂
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a BIG hit! My cousins had to leave before dessert and we asked if they wanted any, they said “no” but after they tried a little bit off my grandma’s plate they were asking for a large piece “to go”. For my family, the icing was a little too much, maybe 1 icing to 2 loaves would be good for us next time.
I also made this without the icing for teacher presents to make it easier to transport to the school (and less sweet since it was their the teacher’s preference) Thanks so much for the great recipe 🙂
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you liked it! 🙂 And yes, not everyone likes icing as much as my family does!
This sounds wonderful, and to make it lighter try a Lemon Swiss Buttercream, completely worth the calories!
Did it and it was as wonderful as you said. The buttercream is really delicious.
hi,
do you think these could be converted into cupcakes without changing the recipe?
Yes I think that would work. Most quickbread recipes work well as muffins, so I don’t think this would be any different. 🙂
I have never left a comment without trying the recipe first, but this was too good to pass up. I can’t wait to try it for Thanksgiving! I love your web site!!
I scanned the other comments and didn’t see this question…… I’ve been baking forever since I’m older than dirt, but I don’t know if my allpurpose flour says unbleached or not. It’s in the canister, so have no bag. What is the difference? Thank you.
I actually wasn’t sure, so I googled it. Apparently bleached flour has less protein than unbleached. I don’t think it matters too much for this recipe though, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
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I tried this loaf last year, and it quickly became my trademark fall/winter treat. The flavours go so well together…it is easy and so yummy. I can guarantee it if you share this treat you will be the most popular person around!
I’m so glad you like this recipe – thanks so much for commenting! 🙂