My Great-grandmother's Special Pumpkin Bread

Since I have been working alot with fresh pumpkin lately, I knew I wanted to try making a pumpkin bread. I researched recipes and thought I found a winner. That was until I told my sister my plan. She informed me that she just got her hands on our Great-grandmothers recipe. Obviously this recipe took priority in my desire to bake pumpkin bread. Our family isn't really one that passes down recipes from generation to generation. This is the first time I came across a gem such as this. My awesome sister shared the recipe and gave me permission to post it.

I was not fortunate enough to have been able to get to know my Great-grandmother Anna Marie Gallagher. I did meet her, but she died before I was old enough to really remember. The only actual memory I have is her looking out her front door at me while her cat sat in the window. My sister was lucky enough to have a close relationship with her. Mommom Anna would babysit my sister and in the fall they would bake pumpkin bread together for thanksgiving. She died at the age of 78 on July 30, 1990. I was only 5 years old; my sister was 10. The last time my sister baked the Great-grandmoms special pumpkin bread was for Thanksgiving of 1990. My grandmother and sister baked the bread together. As they were preparing it, the song Wind Beneath My Wings came on the radio. Both of them started to cry as they remembered the lose of the matriarch of our family.

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups pumpkin*
• 2/3 cup water
• raisins and walnuts (optional, desired amount)

*My sister said she remembers using canned pumpkin when baking the bread with our Great-grandmother. I decided to use fresh pumpkin puree. A bit more work, but take I'd rather take advantage of any chance I have to use fresh ingredients over processed food.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf or cake pan. Bake for approximately one hour. Test if it is fully cooked by stabbing it in the middle with a butter knife or tooth pick. It is done when the knife comes out clean.



This bread came out delicious. I used a small amount of both raisins and chopped walnuts. I think next time I will add some extra walnuts. I like the crunch. The batter allowed me to bake two small loafs and a single layer cake (pictured). I iced the single layer cake with my sisters homemade buttercream and added some chocolate to the top of the icing. Yum!