Pumpkin Cranberry Spice Bread

I've been researching pumpkin bread recipes and was looking for a recipe with a good amount of spice, pumpkin, and something a bit unexpected. Sooo, I found and liked the Libby's Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Recipe and gave it a twist: my own blend of spices rather than pumpkin pie spice, added orange zest, and sprinkled pumpkin seeds on top for a crunch without nuts.

This recipe makes 2 really nicely sized and moist loaves, mine needed to cook for the full 75 minutes to be cooked through.

I think next time I may cut back on the sugar and just try using 2 cups not that the bread was too sweet. The orange juice and cranberry add a nice sweetness, and 3 cups is just alot of sugar!

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

3/4 teaspoons ground cloves or allspice

3/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg

3 cups granulated sugar

1 (15oz) can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

zest of one orange

juice of 2 oranges

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cups coarsely chopped shelled pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9x5 loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl with a whisk. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil, zest, and orange juice in mixer bowl. Beat until blended. Fold pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Fold in the 1 cup cranberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with chopped pumpkin seeds before the loaves go into the oven.

Bake 65-75 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.