[coronabarb]

Pumpkin Bread Recipe
From Diana Rattray Southern U.S. Cuisine

Filling:
1 pkg (8 ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
.
Bread:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional


Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease two 8x4x3-inch loaf pans. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 egg, and orange peel; beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

In another bowl, sift 1 2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside. Put pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, 2 eggs and 1 1/2 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat well. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold in pecans or walnuts, if using.

Pour half of pumpkin bread batter evenly into two prepared loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of pumpkin batter layer and then pour on remaining pumpkin batter.

Bake in preheated 325° oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.