I cut this recipe out of Bon Appetit in the late 70’s and made it regularly for the holidays, in small loaves to give away and in the larger size for the freezer. I baked this and banana bread to serve when we hosted a memorial gathering for Grandma Jean. We LOVE it with dates and served with cream cheese. It also works as muffins, freezes well, and stays moist and tasty.
Anne
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 (14-ounce) cans pumpkin
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup canola oil
- 5 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chopped dates (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 loaf pans (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″) if you are not using dates, grease 4 loaf pans if you are using dates. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin, eggs and oil. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt and stir to combine. Fold in dates, if using.
Divide batter between the prepared loaf pans – it should fill each pan about 2/3 full.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, until firm in the middle.
This batter can be easily made into muffins or a combination of muffins and loaves. Fill each muffin tin 3/4-full and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Spencer Family Cookbook 