Oh hey there!  I am so excited to talk about this pumpkin loaf/cake situation today!  Seriously...so excited!  I love pumpkin so much, and ever since creating a pumpkin cupcake recipe last year I've been obsessed with pumpkin cake.

Now, these last few weeks have been CRAZY on our farm.  Our apple trees are nearly picked clean, and pumpkins are flying out of the fields!  It's a hectic, exhausting, wonderful time of year.  We get to see the reward of our hard work from Spring and Summer, and it makes our family so happy to see so many people come out and experience the farm.  Sharing in our bounty is one of the best things about being a farmer.

That being said....I'm not gonna lie, but I'm VERY VERY excited for November 1st to come along, because that means we get to rest!  Hurray!  The season has been long, and our bodies are ready for a break.  And obviously that means we need to eat more cake.  Right?  Right.

Also, let's talk about this loaf pan for a minute.  It's shaped like pumpkins.  I die.

I know that shaped loaf pans like this aren't the most practical, but I NEEDED this one...because, hey, I'm a pumpkin farmer!  My friend Amy (from Constellation Inspiration) called me on the phone to tell me about a Williams Sonoma sale where this puppy was 75% off!  (CALLED people...not just texted!  That's true friendship right there. hahaha).

So, here we are.  I have a pumpkin loaf pan, and I regret nothing.

*Note: this recipe works just fine in a normal loaf pan! ;)

Pumpkin Spice Loaf 

recipe: Kelsey Siemens
yields: one 9x5 loaf

directions:

1)  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2)  First you'll want to brown your butter, and allow it to cool slightly.  Using a stainless steel saucepan or frying pan is great since you'll be able to see when the butter starts to darken.  Place your butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Swirl the pan to help your butter melt and cook evenly.  It will take a few minutes, but your butter should start to foam a little bit on top, and then will start to darken.  Keep swirling, and once it reaches a dark tan colour, remove from heat and set aside to cool.  It will smell a bit nutty and taste extra delicious!  (You can always skip this step if you're short on time, and just melt your butter instead).

3)  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice.  Mix well, and then set aside.

4)  In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.

5)  Add your browned butter, pumpkin, milk and vanilla, and mix well.

6)  Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet ones, and mix until just combined.

7)  Lightly grease your loaf pan, and fill 3/4 full.

8)  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

9)  Allow loaf to cool, then remove from pan, and carefully level the "top" of the loaf which will become the bottom.  Flip the loaf over so that the pumpkins are on the top, and serve!  You may choose to dust with icing sugar right before serving.

ingredients:

2/3 cup butter (browned)

1  2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

2 eggs

7.5 oz pureed pumpkin (about 1 cup)

1  1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Happy Fall Baking!

-Kelsey

P.S. Since a few people have been asking, here's the link to a similar pan!  The exact one isn't available any longer.  =)