Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Orange scented pumpkin bread is great on it’s own but even better when slathered with a cinnamon spiced cream cheese icing. This is my tried and true, go to recipe whenever I need anything pumpkin.

This is a bit of a recipe re-do as I posted the same recipe in cake form almost three years ago. One of my very first posts, the picture is poorly lit and doesn’t do my favorite pumpkin bread any justice whatsoever. This recipe is so good though and one I make often, I felt like it deserved a second shout out. It can be made into a sheet cake, muffins or bread. I’ve made it studded with chocolate chips and left it plain jane. I like it with cream cheese icing, my boys prefer it without. This is my go to pumpkin recipe for good reason- no matter how you bake it, you end up with the goods!

I’ve made this as Thanksgiving dessert to stand in in place of the always present pumpkin pie which I care so little for. I’ve made it into muffins and taken them to my son’s preschool for his birthday celebration treat. I’ve also made it dozens of other times over the years in some form or another. Like I said, it’s versatile.

You can find the original post I did here. Enjoy the updated photos and recipe. I’ve cut the sugar here by 1/4 cup as well as upped the orange juice concentrate. You’ll note the changes in the recipe below. As always, this recipe has been modified for high altitude baking. If you want to make it and you don’t need to adjust, please note the changes at the bottom of the recipe!

Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 4 eggs
• 1– 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, raisins or chopped nuts (optional)

For the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 lb box powdered sugar, sifted
• pinch salt
• 1–2 teaspoons milk (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Prepare pan(s) with butter and flour or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin puree, orange juice concentrate, sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Mix well with wire whisk. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and with a wooden spoon mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips, raisins or chopped nuts if using. Pour batter into pan(s) and bake until done. Let cool on rack for 10-15 minutes and then remove from pan(s) and cool entirely before frosting. Cooking times: 9 x 13: 40-45 minutes, 11 x 18: 30 minutes, large loaf pans: 40 minutes, small loaf pans: 25 minutes.
5. To make frosting, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer with an electric beater.
6. Add orange zest, cinnamon and vanilla.
7. Add powdered sugar to taste- I usually use 1/2- 3/4 of the box and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add salt. Use milk in necessary to make frosting desired consistency.

Notes

If you’d like to make this and you DON’T need to adjust for high altitude make the following changes: increase granulated sugar to 2 full cups, decrease vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons, increase baking soda to 1 3/4 teaspoons, and increase baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons. Follow directions as is.