3 Fall Swirl Loaves

Spiced pumpkin swirl loaf, cinnamon carrot swirl loaf, and apple pie swirl loaf!

Watch the Video:

These three fall swirl loaves are jazzed up with a sweetened cream cheese filling. They’re easy to make, impressive, and have all the flavors of fall. If you follow the video or this post, you’ll end up with all three fall swirl loaves. They don’t last long at my house, and I’m sure they won’t at your house either. However, with three loaves, you can wrap up one or two and share them with friends and family. They would make a perfect gift for fall gatherings and the holidays. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Sweetened Cream Cheese

The cream cheese filling for all three loaves is the same. It’s creamy, sweet, and almost custard-like. Once you have the filling, you can make any or all of these decadent swirl loaves. This recipe will give you enough filling to make three loaves. You can make all three loaves or triple one loaf recipe.

• Cream cheese –softened
• Granulated sugar
• Milk –room temperature
• Egg –gives the filling a custard-like texture
• Pure vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Then, add the milk and the egg and beat until smooth. Set aside.

 

The Pumpkin Loaf

Soft, pumpkin, warm spiced cake with creamy sweetened cream cheese filling!

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground powdered ginger
• Ground cloves
• Salt
• optional: Dried cranberries, raisins, or your favorite dried fruits or nuts
• Light olive oil –or light vegetable oil
• Eggs –room temperature
• Pure pumpkin puree –cooked and without any other ingredients
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Zest of an orange –zest before juicing

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C. Line a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan (or 10-inch round cake or pie pan) with parchment paper. Whisk together oil, eggs, sugar, zest, and pumpkin puree in a bowl until smooth. Then, whisk together all of the remaining “dry” ingredients in a bowl. Add the dry mix to the wet mixture and whisk until just combined.

Next, transfer half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread a third of the cream cheese mixture on top and top with the remaining pumpkin batter. Use a knife to cut through the batter and swirl the filling. (see video)

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool for 15-20 minutes to set and then transfer onto a serving platter.

The Carrot Loaf

Sweet carrot and cinnamon spiced cake with custard-like cream cheese filling!

• Carrots –boiled and mashed
• Granulated sugar
• Olive oil
• Eggs
• Pure vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt
• Raisins
• Ground walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or 10-inch round cake or pie pan) with parchment paper. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the carrots, and boil them for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the water and mash the carrots. Set aside to cool completely.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Then, mix the eggs, oil, sugar, carrots, and vanilla extract in a separate large mixing bowl. Add the flour mix to the egg mixture and whisk together until combined. Toss the walnuts and raisins in a bowl with two tablespoons of flour and add to the batter.

Next, add half of the cake batter to the prepared pan. Top with a third of the cream cheese filling and top with the remaining batter. Use a knife to create swirls. (see video)

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool for 15-20 minutes to set and then transfer onto a serving platter.

The Apple Loaf

Moist cinnamon clove cake with soft spiced apples and decadent cheesecake-like filling!

• All-purpose flour
• Ground cinnamon
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Ground cloves
• Light olive oil –or light vegetable oil
• Eggs –room temperature
• Granulated sugar
• Yogurt –Greek or regular or sour cream, if that’s what you have
• Pure vanilla extract
• Ground walnuts
• Apple –your favorite kind peeled, cored, and diced

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or 10-inch round cake or pie pan) with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cloves in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, except for the apples and walnuts, until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk together until just combined. Toss the apple and walnuts in two tablespoons of flour. Then, add them to the batter and fold them together until combined.

Next, transfer half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the remaining cream cheese filling on top and pour the remaining batter over the filling. Use a knife to create swirls. (see video)

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool for 15-20 minutes to set and then transfer onto a serving platter.

Alternative pans

The loaf pans can take up to 80 minutes to bake these loaves. However, by cooking these in 10-inch round pie/cake pans, your cakes will be ready faster –about 55-60 minutes. Keep an eye on them as oven temperatures and baking times vary.

Optional Icing

I don’t personally top my loaves with icing, but I know everyone loves a good drizzle. This icing is my go-to because it’s simple and easily customizable. I prefer it to be thick, but make it how you like it!

• Confectioner’s sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Orange juice or milk
• Chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios

Combine the sugar with the vanilla and orange juice or milk in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. For thinner icing, add more juice or milk. For a thicker icing, add more confectioner sugar. Drizzle the icing on top of the loaves and top with nuts.

Freezer Instructions 

Once the cakes have been baked and cooled completely, wrap them in a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. When you’re ready, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then set on the counter at room temperature for a bit before serving.

Serving

Fortunately, there are no right or wrong answers on how or when to serve any of these loaves. The sky is the limit! You can make loaves or cakes and serve slices for breakfast, snacks, or dessert with or without drizzle, nuts, seeds, ice cream, or whipped cream. So, maybe I should just say, “serve these loaves all day in different ways!” Ha! Let me know which loaf is your favorite and how you like to serve it. Kali Olexi!

More loaves and cakes

• Spiced Pumpkin & Olive Oil Loaf Cake
• Milopita: Greek-Style Apple Spice Cake & Loaf
• Tsoureki Danish Braid Filled with Cream Cheese & Preserves
• Mosaiko: No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake
• Banana Cake
• BANANA NUT BREAD (WHOLE WHEAT)
• Greek Walnut Cake (Vegan)