This recipe for pumpkin bread with cake mix is what I call semi-homemade. It is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. It makes the whole house smell like fall when it's baking!
This simple pumpkin bread recipe is for everyone who runs ragged every day but would like to make delicious food for our family because we love them.
Ever since I started writing about food, my aim has been to help people find that magical balance in how they spend their days and minutes. It's the hardest job we have.
I love working and playing with food; I always have, and it's often how I choose to spend my time. Providing a good meal gives me deep satisfaction. I receive joy when I feed people; the more around the table, the happier I am.
I realize my "foodiness" makes me an outlier. I also know most of my friends would rather do anything than spend time in the kitchen, but they do other fantastic things that I envy.
While I'm happily bustling about the kitchen, my bookkeeping is a mess, and I am not disciplined about daily exercise. I totally failed at making scrapbooks for my girls, and my photos are completely unorganized. The list of my foibles goes on and on!
But I'm discovering that our choices and talents make each of us uniquely perfect. Maybe my outlook is brighter now because I just got home from a wonderful silent retreat!
I know I'm the exception in my love of kitchen duty, so I always try to find easy recipes that taste like you spent all day making them. This pumpkin bread with cake mix is a dandy; it's tender, moist, and flavorful!
I love to bake, but I don't love cleaning up, so when I made this pumpkin bread, I put the bowl in my sink and plugged my hand mixer close by.
Any splatters are easy to rinse away instead of washing off the backsplash! This trick is one of my favorite lazy kitchen cleanup hacks!
Dump the dry cake mix in a medium bowl. Look on the box and add the number of eggs and the amount of oil your cake mix instructions tell you, but LEAVE OUT THE WATER. My store-brand cake mix called for three eggs and one-third cup of oil. I'm guessing that's about average, but please check the box.
Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if you have some, plus one fifteen-ounce can of pumpkin puree. Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling. Mix the batter well and put it in the greased loaf pans to bake.
Pumpkin pie spice combines warm spices we all reach for in our fall and holiday baking. Typically, it includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. I used cinnamon alone, and we loved it. Let The Pioneer Woman tell you how to make your pumpkin pie spice for upcoming fall baking.
I love sharing baked goods, so I baked this recipe in two mid-size ceramic loaf pans, each about seven and one-half inches by three and one-half inches. I sprayed them generously with Pam, my favorite non-stick spray.
I used an ice cream scoop to fill the pans evenly because there was almost no mess! I recommend ceramic loaf pans because they bake beautifully, and they are a breeze to clean.
Of course, you can make it in one standard loaf pan, about nine inches by five inches. It will need to bake about ten minutes longer than the smaller loaves.
When you take the loaves out of the oven, set them on a cooling rack. Before removing the bread, let it cool until you can comfortably handle the pans.
In my kitchen, I love to garnish and "zhoosh up" my baked goods to make them look more professional. It's been a thing with me for as long as I can remember; I love making things look pretty and delicious!
That's why I stirred up a simple powdered sugar glaze to top our loaves. You could also sprinkle cinnamon or sparkly sanding sugar on the bread before baking it.
Or, if you like, add some chopped nuts! Our grandson's wife added chocolate chips to their pumpkin bread from cake mix, and it was a hit with their family!
A surprisingly delicious pumpkin bread that begins with a cake mix and four add-ins! Ideas for how to make this easy pumpkin bread your way!
*Reduce the bake time if you use smaller pans. Use a cake tester or toothpick to check. If the toothpick comes out clean when you poke it near the center of the loaf, the bread is done.
**Add about 3/4 cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips if you like. You could also sprinkle sanding sugar or cinnamon sugar on the loaf before baking for a pretty effect.
With a little forethought, it's not hard at all to put great food on the table for your family! Here are some easy, fast recipes to get your motor running: Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars, Apricot Chicken (five minutes of hands-on, then pop it in the oven), and One Pan All-American Goulash (yes, one pan! Easy, fast, and a hit with the whole family).
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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