Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Step 2

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the white and brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt and mix together.

Step 3

Prepare your flax egg by adding 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding in 3 Tbsp of hot water from the kettle, leave to sit for a minute or so to become gloopy.

Step 4

Add in the pumpkin purée, oil, vanilla and flax egg and mix in. The batter will be very thick, but have patience and mix in carefully and it will combine properly. Mix until just combined and don’t overmix.

Step 5

Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray and then line it with parchment paper so that the parchment paper hangs over the sides, so that when the pumpkin bread is baked, you can easily lift it out of the loaf pan using the parchment paper.

Step 6

Transfer the batter from the mixing bowl to the loaf pan and smooth down evenly.

Step 7

Sprinkle a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) over the top.

Step 8

Place into the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If it shows any signs of over-browning then tent it with foil (see notes)* at the 40 minute mark and return to the oven for the remaining 20 minutes.

Step 9

Lift the pumpkin bread out with the parchment paper overhang and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool before slicing.