Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Loaf

A thick slice of Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Loaf with a cup of hot tea is just the thing you need to boost your energy and spirits on a cold, autumn afternoon! Give me a good book, a comfortable chair, this loaf and some tea and I’m all set! Prepared with dried cranberries which has been soaked in strong tea, and loaded with pumpkin spice flavour, this loaf is both moist and delicious!

I can never get enough of the comforting and warming flavour that is pumpkin spice, which is probably why I love this Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Loaf so much! It’s one of those flavour combinations that just makes itself right at home deep within your soul – and your belly!

What is it with the pumpkin spice hate? Every year the memes and the anti-pumpkin remarks seem to come around earlier and earlier. I could never get enough pumpkin spice flavour. In fact, it’s not only present in our home during the fall. I will often bake pumpkin spice-flavoured scones or cookies throughout the year. Because why not!?

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my first holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Pumpkin Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

BAKED GOODS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

This loaf is so perfect for gift-giving, which is just what I did with it. Not only is this loaf great for giving to a friend or loved one, but it’s so easy to package and transport. It might be just me, but is there anyone else out there who loves to receive kitchen-related products as gifts?

If you’d like to gift this loaf to a friend, here’s what you should do. First, buy a new loaf pan and another kitchen item such as a whisk or a spatula. Bring them home, and wash and dry the loaf pan. Then, bake the loaf right into the new pan.

Once baked and cooled, garnish the loaf in any way you deem suitable. Wrap the loaf pan up in some cellophane, tie a ribbon on it, and attach the whisk or spatula. Now, you’ve got a dessert and a gift all in one! I’d love to get something like that; so thoughtful, right!?

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Dried Cranberries
• Butter – I used salted butter. If you’re using salted butter as well, do not add the 1/4 teaspoon of salt listed next.
• Salt
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder
• Brown Sugar
• Tea – Brew a cup of tea. It must be piping hot!
• Vanilla Extract – You can use pumpkin extract for more pumpkin flavour if you wish.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Pumpkin Spice – This is a blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  Depending on the brand, allspice is sometimes absent, but I think the flavour is better with it. I have a homemade version that I use for everything. You can find it here.
• Eggs
• Walnuts

HOW TO MAKE A CRANBERRY PUMPKIN SPICE LOAF

Add the dried cranberries to a mixing bowl. Add the softened butter, salt, baking soda, and brown sugar. Set aside. Prepare one cup of strong, hot tea. Pour it into the bowl with the cranberries. Use a spoon to stir to combine. Set that aside to cool for fifteen minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and pumpkin spice seasoning blend. Set aside. In a separate, small bowl, whisk the two eggs. Set aside. Once the dried cranberries and tea mixture has cooled for fifteen minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the tea mixture into the bowl with the flour. Add in the whisked eggs and chopped walnuts. With a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together to form a batter. Set aside.

Lightly coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Depending on the size of your loaf pan, you might have more batter than you need.  Do not fill the loaf pan more than 3/4 full with the batter. This recipe will require at least a 6-cup loaf pan. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until your loaf is baked through. Be sure to test to see if the loaf is baked by inserting a clean wooden toothpick into the center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean, the loaf is done and can be removed from the oven. Otherwise, bake for five minutes longer and perform the toothpick test again. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack. Allow the loaf to rest for fifteen minutes before turning it out of the loaf pan. Continue to cool on the cooling rack.

For the optional glaze, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk. (You can use more or less milk depending on how thick or thin you would like the glaze.) Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled scones. Serve immediately or allow the glaze to firm before packing the scones into a food-safe container.

I decorated the top of my loaf with sugared cranberries. It is completely optional, but if you like the presentation and want to know how to make sugared garnishes for your holiday baking, you can learn how I did it right here!

SERVING YOUR LOAF

Here’s the thing about breads and loaves – they both come from humble beginnings. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that your loaf shouldn’t be served with style! Like scones and biscuits, I think loaves lend themselves quite well to what most people would call English Tea. I like to think of English Tea as an afternoon snack. And, afternoon snacks are terribly underrated! I like to partake whenever time permits. Hot tea or coffee and a slice of this Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Loaf, or any other sweet treat, is a great break from the 9-5 routine.

With the cooler weather approaching, I can’t think of a better way to serve this loaf than putting out a full set of tea. Sure, it might look seem I have too much time on my hands, but life is short, folks – enjoy it! Take the tea set out of your cabinet, dust it off, and take a well-deserved afternoon break!

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A PUMPKIN SPICE BLEND

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a spice created from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree.   The bark is dried until it curls into a roll known as a cinnamon stick.  These are ground into powder.  Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Ginger – Ground ginger is fresh ginger that has been peeled and dried before being ground into a powder.  It has a pale yellow in colour and a pungent, spicy smell.  It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg is a seed that comes in whole or ground form.  It is a key ingredient in many baked goods and is essential to anything eggnog related.  I often use it in fall dishes, especially in mashed potatoes!
• Allspice – Contrary to what its name suggests, allspice isn’t a blend of other spices.  Allspice comes from a dried brown berry from a tree.  It is a warm-tasting spice and is very aromatic.
• Cloves – Ground cloves come from whole cloves which have been finely ground.  They are a flower bud that comes from the clove tree.  Whole dried cloves look like small nails.  The name clove comes from the Latin word for nail.  They are extremely fragrant and commonly found in spiced cakes and confections.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

If you plan to eat all of the loaf in the next two or three days, you can leave it sitting in a covered container on your countertop. Otherwise, you can freeze it. Once the loaf is fully cooled, pack it into a food-safe, freezer-friendly container and set it in your freezer. It will stay fresh for about four to six weeks. To thaw, remove from freezer and place the loaf onto a wire cooling rack. Once thawed, it will taste just as good as the day you took it out of the oven!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!