Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together until well blended. Beat in the pumpkin puree and eggs until the mixture is smooth, then set the bowl aside.
- In another bowl, stir the flour together with the leaveners (baking soda and baking powder), the salt and the four ground spices, then mix in the pecans.
- Stir half of the dry ingredients into the pumpkin bowl until incorporated, and follow with half of the water.
- Repeat with what is left: first the remaining dry ingredients, then the remaining water, stirring until combined each time.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
- Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the middle of each loaf comes out clean and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 200 to 205°F. If the tops brown too quickly, lay foil loosely over them for the rest of the baking time.
- Once out of the oven, leave the loaves in their pans for 10 minutes. Turn them out onto a rack and let them cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.
Notes
Either homemade or canned pumpkin puree works, but do not use pumpkin pie mix. A 15-ounce can holds about 1 3/4 cups, so make up the 2 cups with a little from a second can or with homemade puree.
Changes from the original Del Monte label recipe: less sugar, butter instead of oil, and added pecans. The label bakes its sweeter loaves for 1 1/2 hours; these lower-sugar loaves are usually done sooner, so start checking them at 65 minutes.
Storage: wrapped loaves keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. The second loaf freezes well: wrap it airtight and freeze for up to 3 months.
Inspired by a recipe that once appeared on Del Monte canned pumpkin labels.