Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (2024)

By Kelley | Muffins and Baking, Sweet ThingsJump To Recipe

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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!

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Ingredients

  • For the cake:
  • 4 eggs
  • 115 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
  • 12 teaspoons milk (optional)

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.

14 Comments

Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (5)Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)Permalink

Love that you added orange to this! Both in the frosting (which I’m pretty sure I could eat by itself) and the bread. Definitely need to try this!

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Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (6)Tieghan GerardPermalink

This is such a pretty loaf! I love the addition of the orange. Very wintery!

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Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (7)Cookin CanuckPermalink

I think there’s a good chance that I could eat 3 or 4 slices in one sitting…if my family didn’t get there first. What a gorgeous bread, Kelley!

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Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (9)JudyPermalink

Does it just make one loaf?……looks yummy!

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    Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (10)KelleyPermalink

    Makes two loaves.

    Reply
Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (11)patsykPermalink

This looks like a great twist on traditional pumpkin bread! I love that you added orange to it!

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    Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (12)KelleyPermalink

    The orange really makes it. It’s so seasonal and a fun twist!

    Reply
Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (13)SamanthaPermalink

Hi. I’m making this for thanksgiving and wonder if I could make the cake in advance? IHow much in advance? I’ll make the frosting the morning of
Thanks! Looks delish!

Reply
    Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (14)KelleyPermalink

    You could make them the day before or even up to a week before and freeze them. Pull them out Thanksgiving morning and frost!

    Reply
Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (15)Angela SalernoPermalink

Hello,
I just had to leave a comment for you, about this recipe.
I tried it for the first time, for a friend for her birthday, and for Thanksgiving…
I brought the other bread with me to my Family, and it was a hit!!

I would be safe to say I really don’t want to make it again. only because It is so hard to resist….
I am very passionate about baking, and I love to try new recipes. I love your Blog, and your style, and I want to thank you for your wonderful recipes.

The first time I tried your Meyer Lemon Bars with coconut crust…..
I had a Luncheon with my Girlfriends, and I made them, and they asked me to make them again….Out of this world…
It is hard for me to find the Meyer Lemons, I think that they come out the best when you use them.
I will always bake something from your Blog, because I can tell you take such Pride in your baking…

Thank you,
Angela Salerno.

Reply
Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (16)VRPermalink

Do you think this would turn out well with the sweet potato puree and pearsauce I have in the freezer, instead of the pumpkin and applesauce?

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    Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (17)KelleyPermalink

    Give it a go! I’m sure it would substitute nicely.

    Reply
Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (18)FloPermalink

This turned out SO GOOD. I followed it exactly except I didn’t even get around to making the cream cheese frosting, it’s outstanding on it’s own, although I will make the frosting tonight so it can go from a breakfast thing to more of a dessert thing. It is moist and fluffy, which is not always easy with quick breads as they can often be too dense. This recipe is also great because my husband and I are back in college now and vegetable oil instead of butter, plus yielding two loaves, and the fact that we buy the 64 pallet of eggs at a time makes this so cheap! Moving from sea level to 7100 feet prevented many of my old recipes from holding up, but your high altitude ones are renewing my zest for baking, thank you!

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Orange-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (2024)

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