Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

In anticipation of running our first 1/2 marathon, I baked a treat to have waiting for us when we crossed the finish line. A gussied up pumpkin bread...

Bread Ingredients:

3 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tbs. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. non-fat milk
2/3 c. water
15 oz. canned pumpkin

Icing Ingredients:

8 oz. powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbs. non-fat milk
6 small ginger snap cookies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in medium bowl. Set aside. Using mixer, combine sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, milk and water until smooth. Add pumpkin and mix until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until fully combined. Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray. Pour bread batter evenly into 2 prepared pans.

Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into bread center. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

While bread is baking, make frosting: Sift together powered sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Set aside. Use mixer to blend cream cheese into smooth consistency. Add milk to cream cheese. Slowly add sugar mixture to mixing bowl. Using a spatula, spread frosting on top of bread evenly.

Using food processor, crumb cookies until powdered. Using mesh strainer, garnish frosted bread with dusting of cookie powder.

Serve with hot beverage and enjoy!

PS - We finished our race and celebrated with a (generous) slice of pumpkin bread!