This time of year, every Tom, Dick and Harriet will try to peddle their pumpkin spice something-or-other, telling you it's the best, ever. Well, with this recipe, I bet I render all opponents speechless, mouths watering. It is simply THE BEST. What makes my recipe better than yours? If you've baked anything else I've posted or merely read some of my other posts, you'll know how much I respect butter. And this recipe makes the most of the elegant, smooth, full flavour that butter lends to any dish, particularly to baking. This loaf is moist, sweet, spicy but not too spicy and surprisingly light. Enough chatting this up, let's get cooking! One more thing: this loaf goes pretty nicely with coffee or some sort of warm mocha concoction, or hot apple cider.
Here's what you need:
2 loaf pans (this recipe makes two loaves, simply cut the ingredients in half -- use two eggs -- to make one loaf)
Butter to grease your pans
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1, 16 oz can pure pumpkin
GO!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease your pans with butter.
Measure out and mix the flour, spices , baking powder and soda together.
In a standing mixer, whisk the softened butter and sugar and eggs together on medium speed, for two minutes.
Add the pumpkin puree and incorporate well.
In three steps, add the dry ingredients to the wet, continuing to mix on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly between each step, as the mixer might have a bit of trouble mixing such a big quantity well. Pay particular attention to the bottom of the bowl, as I find each time I make this, the whisk attachment of my Kitchen Aid mixer doesn't quite do its job.
Once you've made the batter, pour half into one loaf pan, and the other half into the other pan. If you want to be more precise than eyeing it, try weighing each pan to even them out.
Pop your pans into your preheated oven and set the timer for 1 hour. The loaves are done when a skewer or knife inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Enjoy!
