RECIPE PREP: Melt 1/4 cup butter for the pumpkin batter. Set it aside. It needs time to shed heat and cool. Grease a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (1-lb size) with butter or cooking spray. Read instructions all the way through before beginning this recipe.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

1. Add ingredients for cream cheese filling to the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Set the bowl aside.

PUMPKIN BREAD BATTER

1. In a large bowl, add the pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, sour cream and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
2. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Add in the flour. (Don’t add the baking soda or baking powder just yet!) Blend well until fully incorporated.
3. Mix in the baking soda and baking powder. Do not over-mix! 

ASSEMBLE PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE BREAD

1. With a clean spatula, transfer the cream cheese in a line down the middle of the pan, directly over the pumpkin batter.
2. Leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the pan, spread the creamy mixture into an even layer. The reason we are leaving a border is to help prevent the filling from oozing out the sides of the loaf during baking.
3. With a clean spatula, gently spread the reserved pumpkin batter over the cream cheese mixture. Try not to disturb the creamy layer beneath. Lightly smooth the top. 

HOW TO BAKE PUMPKIN BREAD

Use a conventional oven for this recipe. A convection oven can produce dryness or uneven results.

• BAKE TIME: For a nice dome on top, bake 15 minutes at 425°F. Then lower the temperature to 350°F. Total baking time: 60 to 80 minutes, or until done. For me, the sweet spot is 1 hour 12 minutes.
• PREVENT OVER-BROWNING: Tent loaf pan with foil after 35 minutes. This is very important to keep the beautiful top from burning!
• BAKING VARIANCES: Baking times vary based on moisture content of ingredients (pumpkin, sour cream, butter), climate, and oven calibration. 
• HOW TO KNOW WHEN THE BREAD IS DONE: The loaf is done when the top domes, the crack down the middle is no longer moist, and a toothpick inserted in 3 different spots comes out clean. 

HOW TO COOL PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE BREAD

To ensure this moist pumpkin bread maintains its structure when sliced, it’s important to let the bread and its cream cheese filling cool all the way down.

1. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 
2. Carefully remove loaf from pan. Transfer to a wire rack. 
3. Let the bread cool completely, about 1 hour, before icing.

FROSTING

While the bread is cooling on a wire rack, assemble the powdered sugar glaze.

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until the frosting is completely smooth. 
2. For a thinner glaze, add more milk. To thicken, add more sugar.
3. Drizzle or spread glaze over the top of the cooled loaf.