Ingredients:

  • 8 oz block Cream Cheese, full fat, softened
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar (for swirl)
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for swirl)
  • 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour (for swirl)
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (for batter), sifted
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar (for batter)
  • 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional)
  • 1 cup Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (or Canola)
  • 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for batter)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper sling (leaving an overhang) to ensure easy removal.
  2. Make the Swirl: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and the tablespoon of flour until just combined. Set aside.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Ensure there are no lumps.
  4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla until homogenous.
  5. Mix Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently mix until just combined, stopping the moment you see no dry flour streaks. Do not overmix.
  6. Layer the Batter: Pour about two-thirds of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
  7. Add the Filling: Carefully spoon the entire cream cheese filling mixture over the batter layer. Spread it gently to cover the surface, avoiding contact with the edges of the pan.
  8. Top with Batter: Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese layer.
  9. The Swirl: Insert a thin skewer or butter knife about 1 inch (2.5 cm) into the batter. Draw a figure-eight or S-pattern through the loaf 4–5 times to create a decorative swirl. Do not over-swirl or the filling will disappear.
  10. Bake: Bake for 60–70 minutes. If the top starts browning too quickly after 40 minutes, loosely tent the loaf with foil.
  11. Test for Doneness: The loaf is done when a skewer inserted into the pumpkin batter comes out clean. (A skewer inserted into the cream cheese section will still have wet residue, which is normal.)
  12. Cool: Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing (about 45 minutes total cooling time).