Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Recipe

5 from 5 votes

This easy to make Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Bread recipe is the perfect seasonal treat to make. Made in one bowl, (well, almost!), the pumpkin creates a super tender, soft sponge marbled throughout with the rich chocolate. Simple to create yet eye-catching this is perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or dessert.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 352kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

Ingredients

Basic batter

2 large eggs room temperature
150 g granulated sugar
50 g soft brown sugar firmly packed
180 ml vegetable oil
150 g canned pumpkin puree
60 g Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or paste)
250 g plain flour (all-purpose)
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt

Chocolate batter

20 g cocoa powder sifted
35 g Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon instant coffee granules/espresso powder

Maple Icing

180 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
45 ml maple syrup

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Chocolate pumpkin bread

Heat oven & prep pan: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Grease with butter a 2 lb loaf pan 23 x 14cm (9 x 5.5-inch) and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
Whisk eggs & sugar: In a large bowl, add the eggs, white and light brown sugar and whisk until pale and light - this takes approximately one minute.
Mix in wet ingredients. Add the oil, pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined.
Sift in dry ingredients. Sift into the bowl the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Fold them together gently. Using a spatula, fold the batter together until a few streaks of flour remain.
Divide the batter and make the chocolate batter. Divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls. If you want more pumpkin marbling throughout the loaf, then leave a couple more tablespoons in the pumpkin bowl.
Create chocolate batter. In one bowl of batter, add the cocoa powder, Greek yogurt, and espresso powder and mix until just combined.

How to marble the bread

Layer batters into the loaf pan. To create the marble design, add a couple of spoonfuls of pumpkin batter along the bottom of your pan and smooth it flat with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Next, dollop the chocolate on top of the pumpkin layer and smooth it out. Continue with another pumpkin layer and repeat these alternating layers until all the batter has gone.
Swirl the batter. Use a skewer or flat-bladed knife, and run the blade vertically throughout the batter, occasionally bringing the knife out of the batter and back in again to swirl the two batters into each other.
Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake on the centre shelf for 50-55 minutes until golden brown and the sponge springs back or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly then tent it in aluminium foil and continue to bake. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely.

Maple icing, optional

Whisk: Add powdered icing sugar and maple syrup into a small bowl and whisk together. If the glaze is too runny, then add more powdered sugar 30g (¼ cup) at a time, and mix until desired consistency is reached.
Pour: Pour glaze over cooled bread and set aside for ten minutes for the glaze to harden. Slice and serve.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

To store: Once the Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread has completely cooled on a wire rack, wrap it well in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Wrap the bread in plastic wrap or aluminium foil and store it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. The loaf can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw by removing the loaf from the container and leave it at room temperature for about 3 hours before slicing.

TIP 1: Make a paper sling. The easiest way to remove the loaf once baked is to create a paper sling in the loaf pan. Easily done by letting the parchment paper over hangover the sides.

TIP 2: Aluminium foil tent. The bread takes almost an hour to bake, and sometimes the top can brown too quickly (depending on your oven). Covering in a foil tent will slow this browning down but allow the loaf to continue to bake.

TIP 3: Smooth icing. Give a quick short burst in the microwave heats the icing ever so slightly, but enough to relax it and create a super smooth glaze.

How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Spice. Mix ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.

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