Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf

Homemade pumpkin bread is a favorite fall recipe packed with sweet cinnamon spice, chocolate chips, and tons of pumpkin flavor.

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves* 
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger*
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice*
2/3 cup (120g) Dark Sugar Plum Chocolate
3 oz Sugar Plum Bourbon Maple Pecans 1/2 folded into the batter and Half sprinkled on top.
Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) degrees. Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much too soon. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the Chocolate and Pecans
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60-65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes at the 55 minute mark or so.

Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to about 10 days.

Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Baked bread can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Special Tools: Glass Mixing Bowls | Rainbow Whisk | Loaf Pan | Cooling Rack | Libby’s Pure Pumpkin

Spices: You can use 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

Chocolate Chips: If desired, try using milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, or even bourbon pecans/walnutsYou can leave the pumpkin bread plain, too.

Orange Juice: You can substitute milk for orange juice.

Pumpkin Muffins: This recipe makes 15-18 incredible pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes at the same oven temperature.

Bundt Cake: Simply make this pumpkin bundt cake (pretty much this exact recipe) and leave out the cream cheese filling. Add 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips. About 1 hour bake time.