Pumpkin Loaf

This is a delicious recipe that I had found and follow it to a t. It makes 3 7x3 loaves, moist, spicy and tastes even better the next day! It kind of reminds of me of a Dutch Koek. I often double this recipe so I have some for the freezer but make sure your oven is big enough.

Ingredients.

• 1 (15 oz can pumpkin puree or 2 cups). We grow our own small pie pumpkins which are small and the flesh is very orange, then in the fall I bake them and puree in food processor, then in the freezer it goes in 2 cup bags.
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water or orange juice
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3- 3 1/2 cups of flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ginger

Optional.....1/2 to 1 cup of raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350, Grease and flour  3 loaf pans or line with parchment.

In a large bowl mix all your liquid ingredients and beat together for a minute.

Mix all your dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and mix it around with a whisk or large spoon, you really want to mix in the baking soda evenly. You don't want to taste it.

Then mix the liquid and dry together quickly just until blended.

Scoop into prepared pans and into the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. When tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Take out pans and let sit in pans for 5 minutes, run a knife along the edges.....you want to make sure it comes out in one piece as easily as possible. Let cool on racks.

You can wrap up in saran wrap in a bag and freeze as they freeze really well. I find it goes so fast there is never any to freeze.