Best Pumpkin Bread Ever

Fresh out of the oven...

Sometime in October I bought a can of pure pumpkin, thinking I would use it prior to Thanksgiving to create some tasty seasonal treats. Well... that didn't happen. Life just got a little crazy before we traveled to Georgia to visit family for the holiday and, as it turns out, DH doesn't even like most pumpkin-flavored things (what?!?), so it never came to fruition. At least, not until after Thanksgiving. :)

I always love the flavors of  Thanksgiving and pumpkin especially. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, anyone? YUM! So, after returning from nearly a week of home-cooking in Georgia, I needed a little flavor boost. Pumpkin bread sounded perfect. After scouring the internet for recipes and making a few adjustments (I bake like I cook -- nothing is quite exact, I know, I know that's not how it's supposed to work with baking...), here's the recipe that ensued. This makes a deliciously moist and flavorful loaf that almost tastes like cake! It was pretty much gone in less than 48 hours, definitely not enough time to take fancy photos. I think I'll have to go pick up some more canned pumpkin and bake some more!

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 T pumpkin spice seasoning
• 1 cups sugar
• 3/4 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a bowl; use a whisk to mix well and set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until just blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Slowly add in flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Turn batter into prepared pan, dividing evenly, and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Delicious when warm, fresh out of the oven, slathered with butter!