SWEET TREATS

Butternut Pumpkin Bread with Matcha Cream Cheese

Bye bye Banana Bread. 2021 is the year of the Pumpkin Bread. It is lightly sweet with a soft and impossibly light crumb and hints of warm spices. Top it with cream cheese and a matcha sprinkle if you are feeling fancy.

1 1/2 hour

Serves 8

1 1/2 hour

Serves 8

Hello, Luise here with a little weekend treat for you all.
Banana Bread is one of our favorite cakes to whip up but this winter we have been playing around with pumpkin purée instead of ripe bananas and we think you should try it too. We call it Pumpkin Bread (although it’s obviously a cake). It has a sweet taste but not overly so, with a soft and impossibly light crumb and hints of warm spices coming through. It is great sliced and eaten plain. Is even better toasted with yogurt and nut butter slathered on top. And if you wanna play it fancy (you do!), may we suggest topping it with a cream cheese sprinkled with matcha powder to make it next level pretty and tasty.
David would like to add that matcha has a pretty earthy flavor so if you are not used to it, try a little bit before covering the entire cake with it. Matcha is a finely ground powder of green tea leaves and David is NOT its biggest fan. So when he makes this cake he just sprinkles a little bit on for looks and mixes the matcha with powdered sugar to round off the flavor. But he is a wimp! I love matcha and prefer it straight up with just a little maple syrup added to the cream cheese. And if not for the flavor, you could add a little sprinkle for the look of it.
Hope you give it a try and let us know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

Wet ingredients
1 medium size butternut squash/pumpkin (or 300 g / 300 ml / 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 eggs
12 fresh soft dates, pitted
125 ml / 1/2 cup olive oil

Dry ingredients
100 g / 1 cup oat flour (or rolled oats mixed into a flour)
60 g / 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
65 g / 1/2 cup rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or freshly grated)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp sea salt

Matcha Lemon Frosting
200 g / 3/4 cup cream cheese
100 g / 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice (grated lemon zest for decorating)
1 tsp matcha powder
Powdered sugar, to taste

PREPARATION

Making the cake
1. Set the oven to 180°C/350°F.
(If using canned pumpkin puree jump to step 5).
2. Divide the butternut pumpkin in half and place in the oven – cut side down.
3. Let roast for 25-30 minutes or until the flesh is soft.
4. Measure out 300 g / 300 ml / 1 1/4 cup of pumpkin flesh, it's roughly one half (save the rest in a jar and add to sandwiches, pasta or smoothies. Or simply make one more Pumpkin Bread).
5. Place the pumpkin in the food processor along with the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
6. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.
7. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients and stir around until combined.
8. Place baking paper in a rectangular bread dish or baking dish or grease it with oil.
9. Pour the batter into the dish and bake on the middle rack for 50-60 minutes. The cake is ready if an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool on a wire cooling rack.

Matcha Lemon Frosting
1. Place all ingredients in a bowl. You can either add a little matcha to the frosting or just sprinkle it on top. We did both.
2. Whisk with a ballon whisk until well mixed and creamy.
3. Decorate the cooled pumpkin bread with the frosting.
4. Sprinkle with a little extra matcha powder and lemon zest.
5. Serve and enjoy.

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48 Comments

Karine D'Amours
11 Nov ’20 at 21:47
Extremely delicious and satisfying: smooth and fluffy. Frosting is awesome! In the process, I forgot to put olive oil in! I'm looking for to do it again, with all ingredients. Thanks
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Denise
14 Apr ’20 at 07:42
Hi there, it looks delicious but I'm a bit confused about the flours used. It it oat OR buckwheat AND rice, or is it Oat, buckwheat AND rice flour? Thank you :)
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Sam
9 Apr ’20 at 04:02
Is it oat flour OR buckwheat flour, or oat flour AND buckwheat flour?
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Green Kitchen Stories
9 Dec ’20 at 00:42
Hi, it's both. Buckwheat and oat flour. Sorry for the confusion.
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Julie
4 Apr ’20 at 01:44
Looovvveee it! We added toasted millet and pepitas for some crunch; great for brunch! It brought some sunshine in our (rather grey) mornings. Merci!
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Eva
29 Feb ’20 at 20:32
This looks lovely! Just baking one right now. I was wondering, do you store this in the fridge or on the counter? Would this be good for freezing by the slice?
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Kim S.
27 Feb ’20 at 21:07
This looks delicious! Can you clarify between the butternut squash or pumpkin (not talking about the puree), but which gourd you used? In america, these are two different types of gourds. Thank you and look forward to making. P.s. I have butternut squash on hand in my cupboard today and was unsure whether to make it with it. love your recipes, so fresh and inspiring!!
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Green Kitchen Stories
28 Feb ’20 at 12:12
Hi Kim, yes butternut squash works excellent. In Europe, it's called Butternut Pumpkin. /D
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Jules
27 Feb ’20 at 14:27
I'm confused about the oats / buckwheat ingredients because they are on the same line and separated with a slash. rather than on individual lines.. so do you put BOTH the oat flour and the buckwheat flour in, or do you choose oats OR buckwheat LOL. thanks for a short clarification!
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Henriëtte
17 Feb ’20 at 11:44
This cake really tastes divine, even without the frosting. I baked it at 180 degrees for 50 minutes and it was just perfect. Thank you very much for this delicious recipe.
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Samra
12 Feb ’20 at 08:44
We tried the recipe on Sunday and it turned out really tasty. The only problem was the consistency: we had to take it out 15 minutes earlier because it was already too dark. Actually at 200 C it burned at the edges and wasn’t done 100% so Air broke when I took it out of the dish :( Do you think I should try at 180 C? Also I realized I understood it is either out flour OR buckwheat flour. Did I get it right or am I supposed do use BOTH? Thanks!! Great recipe!!
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martutz
7 Feb ’20 at 16:25
Your photos are stunning! And your recipes- amazing! I'm also struggling for a healthier me, I've even start running with SportMe marathon training app and I can say I'm on the right track now. Nutrition is an important part of my losing weight plan, and your blog posts are a true inspiration!
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Sharon
5 Feb ’20 at 04:07
Are 400F is the right temperature? I took mine out 16 minutes early and it was starting to burn. Definitely won't make this recipe again...
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Mette
13 Apr ’20 at 12:37
Mine turned out really delicious following the recipe. You could lower the temperature a little bit ... :-)
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Tuere
4 Feb ’20 at 04:18
The flavor of this cake is very nice! Mine came out too dry for my preference. What can I adjust for a softer, more moist texture? (Note: I replaced the oat flour with almond flour.) Thank you!
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Tuere
12 Feb ’20 at 02:57
I made this a second time. This time with oat flour, an additional 1/4 cup of olive oil, and adding one egg yolk to add moisture. The texture of the bread is much more to my liking with these adjustments!
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Yvonne
2 Feb ’20 at 21:51
Hi guys, love the recipe! Willmake it Wednesday for my birthday. I’m just wandering what spices are in the “all spice”? Thanks, Yvonne
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Esmer
4 Feb ’20 at 03:39
Allspice actually isn't a blend of spices; it's a dried and ground berry.
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Agata Pociejkowicz
2 Feb ’20 at 15:35
Hi. Would adding 50 gr of pecan nuts have any negative impact on rising process as in making a dough to heavy to rise? Thanks Agata
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Josée
2 Feb ’20 at 12:15
Hi , I cant see the lemon frosting ingredients on the page. I will try this bread this week :)
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Rae
1 Feb ’20 at 21:26
In the UK, we are only starting to love all things pumpkins, so can’t wait to try this out, especially with the matcha. Rae www.foodnerd4life.com
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Linda Christensen
1 Feb ’20 at 18:30
Har lige bagt denne kage, men uden matcha pulver. Da jeg ikke havde noget. Det smager rigtig dejlig. Hale familien kunne lide den.
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viala
30 Jan ’20 at 22:39
I read your recipe, I liked it very much, I just love cheese and the match, when I have a day off I will definitely prepare your delicious recipe, thanks
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Kayley Giorgini
30 Jan ’20 at 02:53
Hi! Can I replace the dates with honey? Or Maple syrup? Thanks!
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Simona
27 Jan ’20 at 17:37
Hi! Do you think this will work with flax eggs?
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Ilva
26 Jan ’20 at 16:18
Dates should be dried or fresh6?
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Green Kitchen Stories
26 Jan ’20 at 21:47
Hi Ilva, it's fresh soft/sticky dates. You can use dried dates if you soak them in hot water for an hour or two.
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Emelie
26 Jan ’20 at 15:39
Sounds wonderful! I've made a lot of your muffins since they're great to bring for outdoor adventures. Do you think it's possible to just put the batter into a muffin pan instead or would it need some tweeks? All the best and happy cooking!
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samantha kendrick
26 Jan ’20 at 12:31
Lovely recipe thank you but any ideas how to substitute the eggs? Not sure the chickpea juice will work here! x
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Green Kitchen Stories
26 Jan ’20 at 12:42
Hi Samantha, why don't you think aquafaba would work? We haven't tried it in this recipe but it has done wonders in similar recipes so that would be my first suggestion. 3 eggs would be approx 9 tbsp or 1/2 cup aqua fava. Whip it until soft peaks form before incorporating it with the rest of the ingredients. Let us know if you give it a try! Big love D&L
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Christine
26 Jan ’20 at 12:01
could you make this recipe in to vegan
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Green Kitchen Stories
26 Jan ’20 at 12:43
I would try with whipped aquafaba instead of the eggs. Approx 1/2 cup. /David
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joanne
26 Jan ’20 at 10:08
What kind of dates do you use? Can you please give me a measurement for the dates in cups or weight? I like Barhi dates which are smaller than Medjool, so I would need to compensate if you use Medjool. They taste like caramel and are delicious, but may be a bit sweeter too. Have you tried them? Thanks!
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Green Kitchen Stories
26 Jan ’20 at 12:49
Hi Joanne, our dates are also slightly smaller than medjool dates so you should be fine with Barhi (I think ours are called mazafati and they sound very similar to yours) . 12 dates weighs approx 150 g / 5 oz (with the stone). Good luck! /Luise
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Maggie
26 Jan ’20 at 10:01
Please help Can I use only buckwheat and rice flour? We can’t eat oats Thanks MJ
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Green Kitchen Stories
26 Jan ’20 at 12:45
We haven't tried it with just buckwheat and rice but you could replace the oats with the same amount of almond flour and maybe one tablespoon less oil (because almond flour has more natural occurring fat than oats). /David
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carolina
27 Jan ’20 at 09:18
Hi!! Can I substitute spelt flour for rice flour?
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Green Kitchen Stories
27 Jan ’20 at 15:58
Yes spelt fluor works good as a substitute for rice flour.
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Belinda
26 Jan ’20 at 00:36
What kind of rice flour did you use, brown or white?
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Green Kitchen Stories
26 Jan ’20 at 12:46
We have tried both and they both work but the white flour gives it a slightly lighter crumb. /David
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Mia
25 Jan ’20 at 17:25
Hi. I’m a little confused. Do you add both pitted dates and olive oil or either or to your wet ingredient combo?
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Green Kitchen Stories
25 Jan ’20 at 17:31
Oh sorry, they all ended up on the same line. Pumpkin puree, eggs, olive oil and dates are mixed together as a wet mixture. /D
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Alison
25 Jan ’20 at 15:02
Can you show the pumpkin puree recipe please
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Mary
26 Jan ’20 at 00:26
Pumpkin purée is mashed pumpkin; you can buy it in a can, or cook pumpkin flesh and mash it.
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Nippon
25 Jan ’20 at 09:11
Brilliant Concept!! Keep up the Good Work!!
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