The Sweet SCOop: Pumpkin Bread Pops

Pumpkin is one of the most popular fall flavors, and with this popularity, comes a slew of pumpkin bread recipes. I wanted to test three different pumpkin bread variations: a classic chocolate chip pumpkin bread, a banana pumpkin bread and an orange pumpkin bread.

My goal was to take the classic pumpkin bread loaf to another level in addition to the flavor variations. As cake pops are becoming increasingly popular, making appearances in weddings, parties and birthdays, I decided to make each pumpkin bread variation into a cake pop.

Following each recipe exactly, I baked all three breads on the same day, and using the same ingredients, I turned the pumpkin breads into cake pops. 

Candy Melt Coating

I used the Good & Gather Vanilla Candy Coating for all three pumpkin bread cake pops. They were easy to heat up and use in the first round. However, once left out and reheated, the candy melts were completely unusable. It was sticky, and it wouldn't smooth out to give a nice finish. Also, the candy melts were too sweet. Senior Samantha Rodriguez explains how the candy melt coating detracted from the taste. "It is really sweet because of the frosting. . . I think it would be a lot better without it," Rodriguez said. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Blazer Rating: B-

I followed a  recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction. In my version, I made a simple substitution of milk for orange juice, and kept the rest of the ingredients the same. The instructions were clear, with simple ingredients, pictures and even possible substitutions. This bread was moist and a bit crumbly, and was overall a classic with the plain ingredients and chocolate chips. The best part of the recipe was that no special equipment was needed to make this bread; you just mix everything in a bowl. 

Overall, the pumpkin bread had a good texture, but the flavor was mediocre. Sophomore Alex Risso explained how he could taste the pumpkin flavor, but overall, it was bland. "I can definitely taste [the pumpkin], but it's not super pumpkin-spicy. . . This is fairly good, but it doesn't have that much flavor," Risso said.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Blazer Rating: C-

For this Allrecipes' recipe, I added the raisins, as recommended, and omitted the walnuts due to nut allergies. This recipe was just as simple as the first one with all the ingredients mixed in one bowl, with no hand or stand mixer required. In general, this recipe was a complete miss. The texture of the bread was too soft, and the recipe bursted with only the banana flavor. The pumpkin was completely lost in this bread. Rodriguez wasn't able to taste the pumpkin at all. "I don't know how this is pumpkin . . . it tastes like bananas," Rodriguez says. 

This recipe also was very sweet. With the natural sugars of bananas and the extra ½ cup of honey and ½ cup of sugar, the sweetness was hard to ignore. Senior Leela Mehta-Harwitz was not able to pick any flavor out besides the sweetness. "I don't taste anything except sugar," Mehta-Harwitz says.

Orange Pumpkin Bread

Blazer Rating: A

This recipe was the clear winner, as the taste testers agreed. The texture and taste were superior among the three. It was the perfect balance of moistness and fluffiness, and the spices were not overwhelming, yet still noticeable. It did require a blender or food processor to pulse the orange, but other than that, a large bowl and something to stir the batter with was all that was needed. The orange didn't have a strong presence, but the ratio of the spices and flavors within the pumpkin bread was well proportioned. Junior Christy Li loved the flavor and the amount of spice in the bread. "It's not aggressively cinnamon-y. . . and I do really like the taste. It's very good," Li said. 

My advice for the breads is to cover them in aluminum foil after 30 minutes of baking. The tops of the bread started browning much faster than the insides, so covering the top allows for the bake to be more evenly. Also, try to not overmix. This creates a dense bread which does not rise well and doesn't cook properly. 

So if you're looking for a fall treat with balanced flavors and sweetness, I highly recommend making the orange pumpkin bread.

Video: https://silverchips.mbhs.edu/content/the-sweet-scoop-ep-1-pumpkin-bread-cake-pops-33811/