Pumpkin Bread

My friend, Cleora, shared this recipe with me years ago. I've never had the need to look for another pumpkin bread recipe because this one has the perfect balance of flavors and it's deliciously moist. My favorite way to make this is as mini-muffins with a pretty swirl of cream cheese frosting on top. OhYum! 

3 c. sugar
2/3 c. shortening
4 eggs
One 15 oz. can pumpkin
3 ½ c. flour
2/3 c. water
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ c. nuts, optional
        Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin and water; mix well. Add dry ingredients. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans, or 6 small ones. Bake at 350° for one hour. Baked loaves can be frozen. For cupcakes, bake about 22-26 minutes; bake mini cupcakes for ~17 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cube butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
2-3 c. powdered sugar
        Combine butter and cream cheese until creamy. Stir in vanilla and salt. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and mix well. Add additional powdered sugar, up to 1 cup more, to attain a fluffy frosting consistency. (Make a make-shift "piping bag" by placing frosting in a quart-size ziplock bag. Cut a smallish hole in one corner.)