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To me, pumpkin bread should be soft and spiced and a little magical – and my Twilight Swirl Pumpkin Bread is all of that. It mixes two batters like a classic marble cake (soft pumpkin and dark gingerbread) for a slice that looks like twilight and tastes like fall.
What’s to love
- The swirl adds gingerbread flavor and gorgeous drama (and it’s easy to make!)
- Pumpkin + oil = soft bread with zero dryness
- Only 2 bowls and a spoon – no mixer needed
This October-y loaf is really quite easy to make, but it looks and tastes like something from the pages of a nostalgic storybook!
Printable recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin batter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (depends on how much you like it!)
- 1 cup sugar (I like ½ white, ½ light brown)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ½ cup oil (vegetable or canola)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Twilight swirl batter
- about ½ of the above pumpkin batter
- 2 tablespoons sweet molasses (NOT blackstrap)
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon extra spice (pumpkin spice, ground cinnamon or gingerbread spice – anything goes!)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (for darker color, won’t taste chocolatey)
Topping (optional but magical)
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Tips
- Don’t skip the parchment. The overhang of parchment guarantees clean release, even when the bread is still warm.
- Use canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Don’t over-swirl. Two or three passes with a butter knife, or spiralling through once with a fork (my preferred technique) is plenty.
- Cocoa powder = color, not flavor. Leave it out if you prefer a lighter swirl.
Instructions
- Prep:Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment (leave overhang – it makes lifting the loaf out so easy). Get your ingredients ready.
- Mix dry ingredients:In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.Tip: Whisk well so the baking soda doesn’t clump and cause uneven pockets.1½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- Mix wet ingredients:In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, pumpkin purée, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.If you're using half white/half brown sugar, make sure the brown sugar is fully dissolved.1 cup sugar, 1 cup pumpkin purée, ½ cup oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine batter:Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir gently until just combined. Stop when you no longer see big streaks of flour — overmixing = dense bread.
- Make the twilight batter:Scoop about half of the batter into a smaller bowl. Add the molasses, dark brown sugar, extra spice, and cocoa powder. Fold gently until dark and smooth.(The cocoa is just for color, not flavor. I don't particularly enjoy the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, so I can assure you – it won't taste chocolatey.)about ½ of the above pumpkin batter, 2 tablespoons sweet molasses, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon extra spice, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Layer the batter:Spread half of the dark batter in the bottom of the pan. Dollop half of the pumpkin batter over it in spoonfuls. Repeat both batters.
- Create the swirls:Use a butter knife to swirl a few figure-8s, or use a fork to spiral through the batter. Don't overdo it! You want pretty ribbons, not a fully blended batter.
- Bake:Sprinkle with turbinado sugar for sparkle and crunch (optional but magical). Bake the loaf for 50–60 minutes.At 40 minutes, check the top – if it’s browning quickly, tent loosely with foil. It’s done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean or with moist crumbs (no wet batter).Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes (this sets the structure). Lift out using the parchment and transfer to a cooling rack. Wait until mostly cool to slice – this is when the swirls look their best!2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Twilight Swirl Pumpkin Bread
make your kitchen smell like home?Pumpkin bread questions answered
To make ahead or store leftovers: Cool the bread completely, wrap tightly, and keep at room temp up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4–5 days.
To freeze: Wrap the whole loaf (or slices) in plastic, then foil, or use a freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped at room temp, then warm to serve.
Overmixing (tough texture), wrong pan size (raw middle, burnt edges), opening the oven early (sink), and cutting before it cools (gummy slices).
Not necessarily required. Pumpkin pie spice usually includes warm spices already – use that, or cinnamon + a pinch of ginger/clove if you like. Sometimes I even bake pumpkin bread with only cinnamon as the spice, and it works just fine!
Too much purée or underbaking. Measure flour and pumpkin correctly, use the right pan, and bake until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
Don’t overmix the two batters. Layer and swirl just 2–3 passes with a butter knife or spiral through with a fork once – stopping early gives the boldest pattern. The layering technique alone already creates a lovely pattern!
Perfect to serve with
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