Does pumpkin spice have pumpkin in it?

Usually, no. Pumpkin spice (sometimes called pumpkin pie spice) is just a blend of warm fall spices that happen to pair well with pumpkin. It's primarily cinnamon with a bit of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. The exact spices and ratios used vary depending on the brand. This pumpkin loaf has pumpkin puree in it, so it has some pumpkin flavor, but it's not overly pumpkin-y if that makes sense. The primary flavors of the loaf are warm spices and coffee. The pumpkin puree is there to help keep it moist. This loaf really has the best texture, and that's in part due to the pumpkin puree!

How is instant coffee different from regular coffee?

Instant coffee is made by freeze-drying coffee beans that have been roasted and brewed. To make coffee from instant coffee, simply mix the granules with hot water or milk, and they will fully dissolve. The recommended ratio for instant coffee is one rounded teaspoon per 6 oz. cup. I wanted to add more coffee flavor without adding too much liquid that would affect the texture of the loaf, so this recipe calls for very concentrated coffee. You could use regular brewed coffee or espresso instead, but the important thing is that it's very strong for more coffee flavor.

What is coffee vs. espresso?

Espresso is a type of coffee. There are many nuances to coffee based on the type of bean, the type of grind, and the roasting and brewing processes. Espresso is a dark roast, finely ground, and brewed in a specific way that's different than drip coffee. You can use coffee or espresso for this recipe. Espresso or another dark roast such as French roast with a bold coffee flavor would be a great choice.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread (Marbled Pumpkin Coffee Loaf Cake)

sliced streusel loaf showing marbled brown and orange inside, pumpkin spice latte in back

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This marbled pumpkin bread is a spin on Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Coffee is added to half the batter and swirled to create an eye-catching marbled look. Then it's topped with streusel and a delicious maple-coffee glaze. The result is a super-moist loaf cake that's full of fall spices and coffee flavor. A must-try for PSL lovers!

Author: Kelly @ Butter and Thyme
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Category: dessert
Method: baking, marbling
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Marbled Pumpkin Loaf

2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch allspice
3 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water*

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup flour
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces about 1/4 inch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)

Maple-Coffee Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup (optional)
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
2 teaspoons whole milk

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan with vegetable oil spray (or line it with parchment paper.)
Make the batter: Combine all wet ingredients (excluding the coffee) in a large bowl: eggs, brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, melted butter, oil, and buttermilk. Whisk well to combine. In another mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice* and whisk well to combine. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined.
Marble the batter: Divide the batter evenly between 2 bowls. Add the coffee to one of the bowls and mix to combine. Place 3 large spoonfuls of the orange pumpkin batter into the loaf pan in a zig-zag. Then place 3 large spoonfuls of the brown coffee batter in an alternating zig-zag, creating a checkered pattern. Repeat in alternating layers until all of the batters are used. Then, use a butter knife to create long swirls in the batter.*
Make streusel topping: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl using your hands or a pastry cutter until butter is incorporated (the mixture should be clumpy and have a wet sandy texture). Place the streusel on top of the loaf* and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make the maple-coffee glaze: in a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. You can add more milk ½ teaspoon at a time to thin it out if needed. Wait until the pumpkin bread is fully cooled (at least one hour) - then drizzle the glaze on top. Then slice and serve!

Notes

As an option, you can use brewed espresso or dark roast coffee instead of prepared instant coffee.
You can substitute approximately 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of using cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in the cake batter.
See the blog post above for more details on swirling the batter to create a marbled appearance.
To prevent the streusel from sinking, bake the loaf cake without streusel for the first 30 minutes of baking. Then add the streusel and bake for another 30-35 minutes.

Find it online: https://butterandthyme.com/pumpkin-spice-latte-bread/