Do you know what happens when you have some sort of a crazy, type-A personality like I do? You get something on your mind, and you literally can't. stop. thinking. about it. Not until it's resolved, or over with, or whatever the issue may be. I know I'm not the only one out there who feels like this. But my question is, why do we do this to ourselves? And better yet, why can't we make it stop? If I knew, maybe I wouldn't have this problem. If you know, maybe you could help me out with a good answer. ;)
When I first made this Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread, it was good, but it needed a few small tweaks. So I made it again, only to realize that the ganache-type glaze on top wasn't quite working out the way it was supposed to. That meant that I needed to go for round 3 with the recipe, and until I did that, I COULDN'T stop thinking about it... what went wrong, and how to make it right, and would round 3 work out? (Please let it work out!) Lucky for me, it did, and I got the chance to tweak the recipe a little more at the same time. Mission - finally - accomplished.
This Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread is, contrary to how I've made it sound, easy to put together and yet so pretty with its colorful layers and chocolate-y glaze. It's full of fall spices and the oh-so-lovely duo of pumpkin and chocolate, but remains light and not-too-sweet, a perfect breakfast treat. It'll make you feel good because you're eating chocolate for breakfast, without making you feel bad because you ate chocolate for breakfast. Know what I mean? Oh, and that chocolate ganache glaze? You might just want to melt in it. Consider yourself warned.
Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread
A spiced pumpkin loaf laced with layers of chocolate and topped with a chocolate ganache glaze.
- Yield: 1 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread
- 10 ⅝ ounces all-purpose flour (2 ½ spoon-and-sweep cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ⅞ ounces vegetable oil (¼ cup, or 2 fluid ounces)
- 5 ounces brown sugar (⅔ cup, packed)
- 2 eggs
- 12 ounces canned pumpkin (1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup yogurt (2-⅛ ounces) (I used lowfat)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ounces chocolate baking chips or chopped chocolate (½ cup)
- 1 ⅛ ounces cocoa powder (⅓ cup)
For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 1 ½ ounces chocolate baking chips or chopped chocolate (¼ cup)
- 4 teaspoons milk
- ½ ounce butter (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the oil and brown sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the canned pumpkin, yogurt, and vanilla extract and beat into batter until smoothly and evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in at lowest speed just until evenly combined. Meanwhile, melt the 3 ounces of chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, microwaving 30 seconds at a time and stirring every 30 seconds, until all chocolate has melted and is smooth.
- Split the dough in half, keeping one half in the mixer and transferring the other half to a separate bowl or container. Add the melted chocolate and the cocoa powder to the stand mixer and mix in at lowest speed just until the batter is smooth or only has a few streaks of uneven color. Layer the two different batters into the prepared loaf pan, alternating between layers and smoothing out each layer before moving to the next. Once all batter has been added to the pan, use a knife to swirl the two batters around. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula after swirling. (The colors on the top will start to blend, but this will be covered by the glaze).
- Bake loaf in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool briefly (about 15 minutes), and then remove bread from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, add the glaze.
To Make the Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
- Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe cup or bowl (preferably one with a pourable spout like a Pyrex measuring cup) and microwave for 10-15 seconds (stop if/when the milk starts to bubble up). Stir until the butter has melted into the milk. Add chocolate chips/chopped chocolate to the mixture and stir until the chocolate melts completely. This may take a minute or two, but if absolutely necessary, microwave for another 5 seconds only. Once the mixture is melted and smooth, slowly pour on top of the cooled loaf, aiming for the peak. Use a spatula to gently push the glaze down the peak, toward the edges of the loaf, as you pour. Allow the glaze to set; you can put the bread in the refrigerator if desired to speed up this process. Wrap loaf in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
P.S. Happy Halloween! :)
whilehewasout
mmh this looks delicious!!
Becky
Thanks for stopping by my site, I've absolutely loved looking around yours! So many tasty recipes!!
alexandra
Thanks for taking the time to check things out over here too! :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
This bread is just gorgeous!
alexandra
Thanks Laura!
Jessica @ Portuguese Girl Cooks
I become crazy obsessed with things to the point that I may lose sleep over it, so you're not the only one :) This bread looks amazing, and that ganache glaze just puts it over the top!
alexandra
Thank you! And thank goodness I'm not the only crazy one... I lose sleep over my obsessive thoughts too, it's nuts! :)
Cate
I know EXACTLY what you mean. I have this brownie recipe that I've been losing sleep over... I can't wait until I get the proportions just right and can move on, well, until I find something else that I end up obsessing over anyways!
alexandra
Thank you for letting me know I'm not the only one going nuts sometimes! And it's so true... as soon as you get over obsessing on one thing, you move to another thing. Life!
sara
LOVE this! Totally great colors and flavors for Halloween. :)