Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread

Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread should be your go to Autumn pumpkin recipe. With zero pumpkin spice, this recipe allows the rich chocolate flavour to shine through and the pumpkin gives the bread an unbeatable soft, light texture. With the eye-catching marble detail, this bread is then finished off with a slather of whipped chocolate ganache and some pretty pumpkin crisps, making this humble loaf a statement at any table.

Undeniably pumpkin has to be one of the most distinctive flavours of Autumn, or Fall as the Americans call it. Along with apple and maple, pumpkin graces the table in some shape or form of most during this season and usually it’s combined with pumpkin spice, cinnamon or nutmeg.

But what if you don’t like pumpkin spice, cinnamon or nutmeg? I sit quite firmly in this category. As many of you know, I HATE cinnamon. I never bake with it or cook with it and the only reason I have a jar in my pantry is for client recipes (then I wear a peg on my nose for that day. Not really!)

Jokes aside, I seriously can’t stand it but I wanted the challenge of baking with pumpkin, which I love, without the ubiquitous pumpkin spice. It had to taste good but also look good. And hence my Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread idea was born.

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How to make Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread

I’ve adapted this recipe from Southern Living as I loved the idea of making one batter and then splitting it in two and stirring with the pumpkin ingredients or chocolate ingredients.

• The batter is super easy to make in the bowl of your stand mixer or using hand held electric beaters.

• From there you separate the batter, remove half of it and place into a separate bowl.

• For the chocolate batter : add the cocoa powder, sour cream and coffee and mix together

• For the pumpkin batter: add the pureed pumpkin, flour and maple and mix together

• Next it’s time to layer the two batters into your loaf pan. Start with a couple of pumpkin dollops a long the bottom of your pan and smooth flat with the back of a spoon. Then dollop the chocolate onto of the pumpkin layer and smooth out. Next repeat the pumpkin layer and continue these alternating layers until all the batter has gone. Then with a butter knife or a chopstick, swirl the knife through the batter creating a ripple effect. (Careful not to over swirl as the batter will then all mix together)

• Now it’s time to bake your loaf and once done remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature.

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It’s a show stopper!

I love to make my treats look great. And if it means an extra little step to do this I am always willing to go the extra mile. By all means, this bread is fantastic if eaten by itself. The pumpkin imparts the most delectable sweetness and moist texture to the bread. That chocolate swirl running through is rich and decadent. If I didn’t add the ganache I would eat a big slice of this warm with a cuppa.

Buuuuuut.

I like showing you how with an extra simple step or two your dessert can look WOW.

For this recipe I’ve done this by adding a layer of whipped, yes whipped chocolate ganache. And then onto of that I’ve added the prettiest dried pumpkin slices. I was inspired by Aimee from Twigg Studios with her Butternut Squash, Pear and Hazelnut Cake. It’s absolutely divine- go check it out.

• So whilst the bread is baking you can get started on your whipped chocolate ganache. This is done by heating your cream up on the stove top (or in a microwave) then pouring the hot cream over your chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for five minutes until it starts to melt the chocolate and then whisk until smooth. Now the ganache has to get to room temperature but whisking it every ten minutes will prevent any lumps from forming. Once at room temp its time to transfer the ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip for 3 mins or until light and fluffy. Then slather onto the top of the loaf.

• For the pumpkin crisps. If you can, use a mandolin to cut them as thin as possible. When you remove your bread from the oven turn the oven temp down to 110C/230F. Lay your pumpkin slices on a baking sheet and place in the oven for an hour and a half or until fully dried. This uses your time whilst the bread is cooling down completely and you are making your whipped chocolate ganache. The oven is basically drying out the pumpkin slices, removing any moisture from them and creating crisps. Watch them curl into great shapes. Once done remove from the oven and allow to come to room temp. They are best eaten on the same day as they do go soft quickly.

For more Autumn inspired recipes check out these:

Browned Butter Espresso Madeleines. Recipe found here.

Toffee Apples and Pears. Recipe found here

Caramel Sheet Cake with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. Recipe found here.

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