Pumpkin Pound Cake Bread with optional Cream Cheese Frosting

Have you ever been in the mood for something AFTER everyone else? If not, count your blessings. But if you're remotely similar to me, it happens more often than not. 

So I wanted something pumpkin. Not pie. Not cookies. But something. So off to google I searched. I came across this recipe for pumpkin bread. But reading the recipe, it was all wrong. Too much sugar. Too much oil. Just too much!

So off to tweaking I go! Here's my (IMHO) improved recipe. 

15 oz can pumpkin

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2/3 cup water

3 1/2 cups flour, sifted

3 cup sugar (I did half white and half light brown)

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

- Heat oven to 350*. Grease & flour a 13 x 9 inch pan.

- in a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add the sugar and mix well.

- in a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour into the prepared pan.

- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Cake is done when the knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

This is what it looked like finished.

I added a cream cheese frosting on the side. 

One pound (usually 1 bag) powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese (not whipped)

1 stick salted butter

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

- Blend all ingredients well.

Enjoy!