Pumpkin Marble Bread

Overhead image of a slice of pumpkin marble loaf cake on a white and green plate.

5 from 5 votes

Moist pumpkin bread marbled with a rich chocolatey cake, this marble pumpkin bread is the best of both worlds. It's made with just one batter split into two which makes this recipe super simple.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Total Time2

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: Marble Cake, Pumpkin

Servings:

Calories: 363kcal

Equipment

Medium Loaf Pan

Ingredients

Cake Batter

90 grams granulated sugar plus 50 grams for the topping
90 grams dark brown sugar
4 grams fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs standard large
75 grams oil any neutral oil will work
100 grams sour cream
300 grams pumpkin purée
200 grams all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 ounces espresso
25 grams cocoa powder natural or dutch processed

Instructions

Homemade Pumpkin Purée

If making your own pumpkin puree, preheat the oven to 375 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Cut your pumpkin or squash in half straight down the center line from stem to bottom.
Scoop out the insides with a spoon or ice cream scoop. I like to use a grapefruit spoon that has the serrated edges.
Place the two halves face down on a baking sheet. I use this one from USA pan and don't need to line it but if using a different baking sheet, be sure to line it with parchment paper.
Bake in the hot oven for 40 minutes until the insides are soft and the skin starts to peel away.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pumpkin to cool for 10 minutes.
Scoop the insides into a blender (make sure no skin goes in the blender) and blend until smooth.
Pour the puree in a bowl and place it in the fridge until it has completely cooled off.

Pumpkin Bread

Turn the oven down to 350 F and leave the rack in the middle of the oven.
In a medium bowl, add in 300 grams of pumpkin puree (first pour off any excess water that has separated as it cooled), pumpkin spice, cinnamon, both sugars, eggs, sour cream, salt, oil, and vanilla.
Whisk until smooth.
Add in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk again until just combined, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
In a separate bowl whisk together the cocoa powder and brewed espresso until smooth.
Pour 400 grams of the batter into the chocolate espresso mix and use a spatula to fold the chocolate mixture into the pumpkin batter.
Scoop the pumpkin and chocolate batters into the loaf pan. If using this pan from USA pan, no need to line it but if using a different one, I recommend spraying it with a baking spray that includes flour or grease the pan and then line it with a sheet of parchment paper.
Alternate the batters by scooping in 1/4 cup of one and then the other into the pan.
Once all of the batter has been used up, sprinkle the top of the batter with an additional 30-50 grams of granulated sugar.
Bake the cake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes.
If needed, loosen the cake from the edges with a rubber or wooden spatula. Then tip or lift the loaf out and let it cool fully on a plate or piece of parchment paper.

Notes

Tips for making a Pumpkin Marble Bread

If roasting your own pumpkin, make sure to use Sugar/Pumpkin pie pumpkins or honeynut squash. Allow the puree to cool down completely before baking with it and drain off any excess liquid that has separated as it cools.
Make sure the oven is hot when the batter is ready. You don't want this cake batter to sit around once mixed or the baking soda will start to react before it goes into the oven.
I used my favorite metal medium loaf pan from USA pan because the light ridged metal gives it an even bake and creates a non stick surface. If you want to make this as a round cake, bake it in a 8" round metal cake pan. I don't recommend using a glass pan as it won't bake as quickly and might burn before it has fully baked through.
If you don't want to add the espresso, simply replace it with 3 ounces of milk. If you don't have a way to make espresso, add two teaspoons of instant espresso into 3 ounces of hot water and stir to combine.
Make sure to let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before tipping it out. If it's too hot, the bread will fall apart when you try to tip it out.

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