Donut Loaves

Pumpkin Spice Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf

A warmly spiced pumpkin donut loaf layered with buttery streusel, coarse sparkling sugar, and a thick vanilla crackle glaze.

Prep

30 min

Bake

55-70 min

Total

About 2 hr, including resting and glaze setting

Yield

One 9x5-inch loaf

Jump to recipe How to make it

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A note from my kitchen

Before you bake this

This pumpkin spice donut loaf brings together a tender pumpkin crumb, warm cinnamon and nutmeg, buttery streusel, and a thick vanilla glaze that coats every side.

Pumpkin spice emulsion gives it the bakery-style cake-donut flavor I wanted, while the streusel creates a soft, buttery layer through the center and plenty of clusters on top.

Save me a slice ;)

Thinking out loud

Tasting Fall Before the Weather Changes

The cravings, questions, and running commentary behind this bake.

Slices of glazed Pumpkin Spice Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf on parchment with cinnamon sticks — A little taste of fall, even when Arizona still feels like summer.

I always start making fall desserts early because I live in Arizona and deeply miss the seasons and moody weather. Wisconsin is still such a big point of reference when I think about desserts. If I cannot feel the seasons, I will certainly taste them.

Late August was always one of my favorite times of year because it felt like a point of transition, with the most beautiful colors just around the corner. Baking fall desserts lets me create a little of that feeling here in Arizona, even when the weather has not caught up.

Read this first

The quick notes.

Flavor

Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar, and vanilla bean.

Texture

A tender pumpkin cake-donut crumb with a buttery streusel center and thick crackle glaze.

Best moment

Pouring the vanilla glaze over the rested loaf and watching it settle into the streusel.

From this recipe

Tested notes

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

I use LorAnn's Pumpkin Spice Bakery Emulsion, Tezza Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt, Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste, and a Fat Daddio's anodized aluminum loaf pan for this recipe.

If using regular plain full-fat yogurt, use 200 g (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) and increase the milk to 135 g (about 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons).

If you do not have dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar at the same listed amount.

Ingredient notes

Key ingredients

Pumpkin puree

Use pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling so the sweetness and spice stay balanced as written.

Pumpkin spice emulsion

I use LorAnn's Pumpkin Spice Bakery Emulsion, which I find at Michael's or Amazon. Because it is water soluble, its flavor holds up differently in the oven than an alcohol-based extract. I find it essential for creating that bakery-style, cake-donut flavor.

Plain Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt gives the egg-free batter moisture and body while helping create its thick, scoopable texture. I use Tezza Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt for this recipe.

Vanilla bean paste

Vanilla bean paste brings a rounded vanilla flavor to the batter, streusel, and glaze. I use Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste.

Cold butter

Cold cubed butter helps the streusel hold both fine crumbs and large buttery clusters as it bakes. Salted or unsalted butter works here.

Coarse sanding sugar

Modern Mountain Baking Company White Sparkling Sugar is my go-to sanding sugar. I get it on Amazon, and it adds a crisp, sparkly finish without melting into the top.

Pumpkin puree, yogurt, milk, oil, and sugar in a glass mixing bowl — Pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt give the loaf its tender, substantial crumb.

Optional ingredient notes

Use what you have on hand

Curious what I used? These are the exact products I reached for while developing this recipe.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin puree

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices and is not interchangeable here.

Pure pumpkin puree

Emulsion

Pumpkin spice emulsion

I use LorAnn's Pumpkin Spice Bakery Emulsion, which I find at Michael's or Amazon. Because it is water soluble, its flavor holds up differently in the oven than an alcohol-based extract.

LorAnn's Pumpkin Spice Bakery Emulsion

Yogurt

Plain Greek yogurt

I use Tezza Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt. If you only have regular plain full-fat yogurt, use 200 g (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) and increase the milk to 135 g (about 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons).

Tezza Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt

Vanilla

Vanilla bean paste

I use Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste. If you do not have vanilla bean paste, use vanilla extract wherever the paste is listed.

Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste

Brown sugar

The recipe was developed with dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar is perfectly fine at the same listed amount. Use what you have on hand.

Dark brown sugar

Butter

Salted or unsalted butter works just fine here. Use whichever one you already have.

Salted or unsalted butter

Oil

Neutral oil

I usually use canola oil or vegetable oil, and canola is the most neutral of the two. Avocado oil and corn oil also work.

01
Canola oil
02
Vegetable oil
03
Avocado oil
04
Corn oil

Spices

Ground spices

If you do not have the individual cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, use 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice in their place.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger

Testing notes

Why this works

Why the streusel stays chilled

Keeping the streusel cold helps the butter hold onto a mix of fine crumbs and larger clusters instead of melting into the batter.

Why the batter is thick

Pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt make this batter thick and scoopable rather than loose or pourable. Spread it gently when layering it with the streusel.

Why the emulsion matters

The pumpkin spice emulsion gives the loaf the bakery-style spice flavor I associate with a cake donut. Together with the soft streusel layer, it creates the full donut-loaf experience I wanted.

Let the loaf tell you when it is ready

The 55-70 minute range is a guide because every oven is different. Begin checking within the listed range, then continue baking until the center reaches 205-210°F or a tester inserted into the cake portion comes out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Choose the pan with care

I develop my loaf recipes in a 9x5-inch Fat Daddio's anodized aluminum pan. Glass can take longer to heat and continues holding heat after it leaves the oven. Dark nonstick metal can brown the sides and top more quickly. Silicone may need extra support and can produce lighter sides, so place it on a metal sheet pan. With any pan, use the tester and center-temperature cues rather than time alone.

Buttery streusel being added over pumpkin spice donut loaf batter — Half of the streusel creates a soft, buttery layer through the center.

How it comes together

Smooth pumpkin spice donut loaf wet mixture in a glass bowl

First layer of pumpkin spice batter in a parchment-lined loaf pan

Buttery streusel covering the first layer of pumpkin spice batter

Second layer of pumpkin spice batter being added over the streusel

Final layer of streusel being arranged over pumpkin spice donut loaf batter

Freshly baked pumpkin spice donut loaf in an aluminum loaf pan

Unglazed pumpkin spice donut loaf cooling on a wire rack

Vanilla crackle glaze settling over the side of the pumpkin spice donut loaf

Finished glazed Pumpkin Spice Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf on a cooling rack

Single slice of glazed pumpkin spice donut loaf on parchment

Small things that matter

Tips for the best loaf

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

Bring the Greek yogurt and milk to room temperature so the batter comes together smoothly.

Keep the streusel refrigerated until you are ready to layer it, preserving plenty of large buttery clusters.

Check the streusel around 45 minutes and tent loosely with foil if it is browning quickly.

Insert the tester into the cake portion rather than directly through the buttery streusel seam.

Glaze the loaf after its 35-40 minute rest so the glaze can coat the sides while the loaf is still slightly warm.

Thick vanilla crackle glaze coating the side of a pumpkin spice donut loaf — Let the glaze cover the loaf generously and settle around every streusel cluster.

Before you slice

Texture and serving notes

Serve at room temperature or chilled once the glaze has completely set.

The pumpkin and spice flavors deepen after the loaf chills overnight.

Keep it good

Storage

Fridge

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Fridge

The pumpkin and spice flavors deepen after chilling overnight.

Freezer

Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.

Recipe FAQ

Questions that come up

Can I use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?

Yes. Use 200 g plain full-fat yogurt (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) and increase the milk to 135 g (about 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons). The batter will be a little looser than the Greek yogurt version.

Can I use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar?

Yes. Use what you have on hand. Light brown sugar is perfectly fine at the same listed amount.

Can I use pumpkin spice instead of the individual spices?

Yes. If you do not have cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger on hand, use 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice in their place.

Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste?

Yes. If you do not have vanilla bean paste, use vanilla extract wherever the paste is listed.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

Either works. Use what you have on hand. Salted or unsalted butter is fine for this recipe and for my other desserts too.

Which neutral oil should I use?

I use canola oil or vegetable oil, with canola being the more neutral of the two. Avocado oil works too, although it is more expensive, and I have also used corn oil successfully.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling?

No. Use pure pumpkin puree for this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices and is not interchangeable here.

How do I know when the loaf is done?

The center should reach 205-210°F, or a tester inserted into the cake portion should come out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Begin checking within the listed range, but continue baking as needed because every oven and pan can behave differently.

What kind of loaf pan should I use?

I developed this recipe in a 9x5-inch Fat Daddio's anodized aluminum pan. Glass may need more time and will retain heat after baking, dark nonstick metal may brown more quickly, and silicone should be supported on a metal sheet pan. Use the center temperature or tester rather than relying on time alone.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I cannot guarantee the same texture, rise, or structure. If you would like to experiment, a cup-for-cup (1:1) gluten-free baking blend intended to replace all-purpose flour is the best place to start. Results may differ from the recipe as written.

Can I substitute sour cream for the yogurt?

Yes, regular full-fat sour cream is the closest substitute. Replace the plain unsweetened yogurt with the same amount by weight. Sour cream is thicker and higher in fat, so the batter may be slightly thicker and the finished loaf a little richer and denser than the version I tested with yogurt. Avoid reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream, which can behave differently.

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