Cake Mix Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosted pumpkin bread slices on parchment with cinnamon sticks.

5 from 1 vote

Cake Mix Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

This insanely rich and moist pumpkin bread made with cake mix starts off with a spice cake mix, but the ending result is far from it. Smothered with a brown sugar cream cheese frosting, this fall recipe is so simple to make, prepped in just about 10 minutes and with the help of just a few other ingredients, it tastes like bakery made!

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Baked Goods

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices (1 loaf)

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

bread

1 can pumpkin purée 15 oz.
1 boxed spice cake mix (13.25 - 15.25 oz.) Betty Crocker is our preference
3 large eggs room temperature
¼ c oil vegetable or canola
2 Tbsp whole milk
1 ½ tsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp orange zest optional

Cream cheese frosting

4 oz block cream cheese softened
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup light brown sugar
pinch of sea salt
1½ to 2 cups powdered sugar more if needed

Instructions

Prepare the Pumpkin Bread: Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs well to beat until they start to become slightly frothy.
Add in the oil, canned pumpkin, vanilla, and milk to the eggs. Whisk until incorporated.
Add the cake mix, spices and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture. Stir to combine. At this time, do not over stir the bread batter. Sir the dry ingredients to incorporate but stop once the streaks of cake mix are gone.
Grease and flour a loaf pan (mine is 8.5 inches by 4.5 inches). Pour the pumpkin bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Check in at about the 40 minute mark and if the top of the loaf is browning, loosely tent aluminum foil over top of the loaf. This can slow the baking down slightly so you may go a touch longer if doing so.
Once ready, remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes and then remove from pan and continue to cool.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: While the bread bakes, or really at any point that works for you. Cream the softened cream cheese and butter in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and brown sugar and beat until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture about a half cup at a time, blending until smooth.
Continue to add until cream cheese frosting is desired consistency. Chill until ready to frost the bread.
Once the bread is cooled and the frosting has chilled and set, frost the top of the pumpkin bread generously. Chill for about 2 hours to allow it to set. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Store this bread in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If it is frosted, you will want to place in a container that won't press down onto the icing for best results. It will keep for about 4-5 days.

To freeze: I like to flash freeze the loaf by placing with uncovered for about an hour to let the frosting really get solid and then wrap it in parchment and top it with a layer of foil. This keeps the frosting at its best!

Do not over bake this pumpkin bread. Checking in on it at around the 40 minute mark is a great way to get an idea of how much longer it will need and then plan accordingly.

You can line your pan with parchment paper if preferred. If you are worried about getting your loaf out nicely, you are welcome to line it with parchment instead of greasing and flouring.

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