The best old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread

                         Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread

A friend gave me this recipe, and I just tried it out yesterday.  So yummy.  I'm not a sweets person, but this is an incredible flavored light cake/bread. 

Oh yeah - I may have added about 1/4cup of bourbon to the batter.  Just a little extra oomph. 

Now on with the show. (gratuitous picture of puppy for attention)

I'm going to first post the images of the original recipe and then the text.  

Now - in case that isn't clear - the text (with my notes): 

Pumpkin Bread

THIS RICH MOIST BREAD, WELL-SPICED AND DOTTED WITH PLUMP RAISINS, IS BAKED IN A BUNDT PAN THEN DUSTED WITH CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR (I totally skipped this) . IF POSSIBLE, GRIND THE SPICES YOURSELF IN A SPICE GRINDER OR COFFEE GRINDER (Yeah- didn't do that either) RESERVED FOR THAT PURPOSE. 

SERVE SLICES TOPPED WITH PIECES OF CHEDDAR CHEESE. SPREAD WITH CREAM CHEESE. (Um - do this if you'd like)

OR SIMPLY PLAIN FOR DESSERT. SERVE IT WITH ICE CREAM OR POACHED FRUIT SUCH AS APPLES OR PEARS.

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 Tablespoon butter (Room temperature)

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups grated apple (about 2 apples)

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1-1 I 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 16oz can pumpkin puree (Or the equivalent homemade if that's your style)

2 cups all-purpose flour

l / 2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

l / 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 / 2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 / 2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3/ 4 cup raisins

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F 

In a large bowl or mixer, cream the butter. Add the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and mix until combined.

Add apples, ginger, lemon juice, and pumpkin puree, stirring to

blend well. (Doing this part in the mixer caused a LARGE mess, probably best to do it by hand) This is also where I added the bourbon.  

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg  directly onto the wet ingredients, then stir until thoroughly blended. Stir in the lemon zest and raisins. 

Pour into a 9-inch bundt pan.

Bake until the cake is puffed and brown, the surface springs back when pushed gently with the tip of your finger, and the cake is just slightly pulling away from the edges of the pan, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the pan onto the rack to unmold the cake. If necessary, first slide a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Place the cake upright on the rack to cool.

To serve: transfer to a serving plate and dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Serves 20 to 24.

Enjoy!