I grow and cook my own pumpkins. And I enjoy using pumpkin in a number of ways, such as in Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones. And in pumpkin bread. But after years of making “regular” pumpkin breads, I wanted to “oomph” up my pumpkin bread recipe. So after considering and experimenting with various changes, I decided to try adding pears, since I had some. And I am so glad I did! I was surprised how wonderfully well pumpkin and pears go together. And the streusel topping adds the perfect finishing touch!
I made this as 2 loaves. However, it works equally well if made as jumbo muffins.
See also: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pear Bread with an Almond Streusel Topping.
The Inside Scoop
This is a fairly straightforward recipe. I just have a few inside comments:
When both volumetric and weight measures are provided, the volumetric measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of sugar is 192 grams. By volume, this measure will be less than 1 cup.
Crack eggs into a small bowl before adding to the batter. That way, it is easy to remove any bits of eggshell or bloody eggs.
Warm eggs hold more air than cold eggs. To warm eggs quickly, place the eggs, still in the shell, in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes.
This recipe can be made as 11 jumbo muffins or as two 4″ x 8″ loaf coffeecakes. For jumbo muffins, spray the cupcake liners with a non-stick cooking spray. For loaf pans, spray with non-stick cooking spray and then line the loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment paper on the ends to form “handles.”
I grow my own pumpkins and cook them; that way, I can control how much water is left in the pumpkin. If you are using commercially canned pumpkin, you will probably need to drain off the excess water. Too much water in the pumpkin will make the loaves difficult to bake and possibly cause them to collapse. This is also true for pumpkin cookies, cheesecakes and pies.
To drain the excess water from the pumpkin, fill a jelly bag with the pumpkin and place the bag and bag holder over a bowl. Let the excess water drain off until the pumpkin is no longer watery and will hold a shape but is not dry. I often speed this along by gently squeezing the bag to remove the excess water.
If you do not have a jelly bag, line a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth. Place the pumpkin on the cheesecloth and let it drain until it is no longer watery and holds a shape without being dry.
If you are using streusel topping, sprinkle the streusel lightly over the top of the batter; distribute evenly over the surface. Avoid clumps of streusel; clumps of streusel will sink into the coffeecake.
Because this is a very high-rising loaf, do not fill pans more than 3/4 full.
Do not add the streusel topping if you will be freezing this bread/coffeecake. When thawed, previously frozen streusel topping has a decidedly unpleasant appearance.
This is a very high rising bread/coffeecake. A standard toothpick will not reach far enough into the loaf to accurately determine if it is baked all the way through. Use a metal cake tester or skewer (I use metal kabob skewers) to check for doneness.
A wonderfully moist, high-rising bread with the irresistible flavor combination of pumpkin and pear and finished with an almond streusel topping. You can call it a bread or you can call it a coffeecake, but you will call it the best ever! Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2- 7 ½” x 3 ¾” x 2 ¼” (10 x 10 x 6 cm) loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. (You can also use one 9.25’ x 5.25” x 2.5: loaf pan, multiple smaller pans or muffin cups.) Line the bottom and short ends of the loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment paper on the short ends to create “handles.” If possible, when making large loaves, double the loaf pans to prevent excess browning on the bottom. Place all streusel ingredients into a small food processor; pulse until ingredients are combined but still granular. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Whisk together; set aside. Pare and core the pears. Chop. Measure out 325 grams of pear; place the chopped pears in a small bowl and set aside. If the pumpkin appears watery, line a sieve with cheesecloth, place the pumpkin in the cheesecloth and let the excess water drain. OR use a jelly bag and let the excess water drain. Pour the cracked eggs into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer; whisk until foamy. Add the canola oil, cooked, mashed pumpkin, pure maple syrup, and buttermilk; with the stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat on low speed until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients; by hand, gently fold together until there are no visible dry ingredients. Pour the pumpkin pear batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the prepared streusel, spreading the streusel evenly over the surface of the bread. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 - 60 minutes or until a metal cake tester or skewer, when inserted into the middle of the bread, slides in easily and comes out fairly dry. Adjust the baking time as needed for larger or smaller loaves or muffins. Remove the loaves from the oven and place onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the bread from the pan by taking the flat end of a knife and running it down the long sides to check that the loaves are not sticking. Then use the parchment “handles” to lift the bread out of the pan and place onto the cooling rack. Cool completely. Enjoy! Note: Do not apply streusel if you plan to freeze the bread. The streusel will have a decidedly unpleasant appearance when thawed.Pumpkin Pear Bread with an Almond Streusel Topping
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