Grandma's Pumpkin Bread, Frosted Pumpkin Loaf Cake, and a Tea Blend for Gifting.

I placed 4 walnut halves in a row down the top for a festive look!

You know, things have sort have gotten away from me and today I am bearing down to catch up!  Starting with this very treasured Pumpkin Bread recipe shared with me a lifetime ago by Grandma Powell.  It is delicious and makes 2 big loaves.  I made one adding chopped walnuts (I used 1/2 cup) and the second without nuts.  The first loaf is to given as a gift later today along with a tea blend I made up using Black Nigirli Tea and Black Elderberries.  Either blend half and half or place a half teaspoon of each into pre-purchased tea bags.  The tea has anti-viral properties and can be helpful when suffering with a "bug".

The second loaf I will frost and use as a Pumpkin Loaf cake for Sunday dinners dessert.

Ingredients for Grandma's Walnut Bread:

3 C. sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
4 lg.eggs
2/3 C. water
2 C. pumpkin
1 C. chopped nuts
3 1/3 C. flour + 1 T. separated
1 1/2 t. soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. ground cloves

No nuts version

Butter and flower generously 2 loaf pans and set them aside.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together the sugar and oil.  Add in the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.  Blend in the pumpkin.  Stir together the dry ingredients and add them alternately with the water to the batter mixing until just blended.  Add a  tablespoon of flour to the chopped nuts and stir together well, this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.  Stir in the nuts.  Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans evenly and garnish with a row of walnut halves down the middle of the loaf if desired. 

Bake in the preheated oven at 350 for about 1 and 1/2 hours until done when tested with a skewer in the center of the loaf.

After removing the loaves cool on a rack for 20 minutes.  Run a thin knife all the way around the outside edge to loosen.  Invert the loaf into your hand and remove from the pans then continue cooling on the rack until cold.  Store in a large plastic bag.  Slice and serve with soft butter or softened cream cheese.

Ingredients for the Frosting:

The formula for the frosting I am using for the no nuts loaf is for each 1 C. of powdered sugar add 1 T. soft butter and 1/2 t. vanilla.  Then add 1 T. cream and stir together.  Add additional droplets of cream and stir until reaching the consistency you want.  Drizzle or spread across the loaf and serve.