Your next cooking club challenge is our ultimate pumpkin loaf

This sweet and pumpkiny bread has a touch of ale and the crunch of pepitas, while the simple glaze makes it a showstopper. So, get out the loaf pan, ditch the bananas and instead bake up this moist and delicious seasonal cake that takes only 10 minutes to prep!! But wait: There’s more! This same batter easily transforms into a dozen muffins with a streusel topping. (Whaaat?!) It’s true! Simply spoon batter into greased muffin tin and top with the tasty topping for muffins to go (or drizzle with glaze for dessert in).

But wait: There’s even more!

Now the Chatelaine Cooking Club comes with prizing! The best Ultimate Pumpkin Loaf or Muffins photo, as chosen by the Chatelaine Kitchen, will receive a cookbook prize pack including an autographed copy of Mad Hungry Cravings by Lucinda Scala Quinn and Curtis Stone's What's for Dinner. Yay!

Editor's Note: Bonus prize! Send us your pics by Friday, October 3, 12pm and you’ll be entered to win an invite to an exclusive Chatelaine Kitchen event in Toronto*. We’re hosting Jamie Oliver (!!) October 7th and scored you an invite! Winner will be notified by Friday, October 3, 5pm. (If you don't win, you will still be eligible for the cookbook prize pack the week after.)

*Winner must make their own way to event. Transportation not included.

Contest rules and regs.

How to post your pic?

Once you have your photo, you can post it one of three ways (make sure you’re not on a private setting):

Follow us on Instagram, then post your photo using @ChatelaineKitchen

Follow us on Twitter, then tweet us your photo with the hashtag #ChatelaineKitchen

Like us on Facebook, then message us your photo

Email us your picture at chatelaine.kitchen@gmail.com

Get your photos posted by Thursday October 10 at noon to be considered for the club’s gallery the following day, which will be featured with the next week’s recipe.

Quick photo tips: Don’t use a flash, natural light is best. Just place your plate near a window and shoot away. Don’t bother using props – they’ll detract from the featured food. Overhead is always nice, close-ups work well, and get in close so we can see what’s cookin’! The larger the photo, the better.

Pumpkin-ale sweet bread

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pure pumpkin purée
• 1/3 cup pumpkin ale
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla

GLAZE

• 2/3 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp pumpkin ale
• 1/4 cup pepitas

Instructions

• PREHEAT oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9 × 5-in. loaf pan with oil.
• STIR flour with baking soda, pumpkin-pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
• WHISK eggs with brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in pumpkin purée, 1/3 cup ale, oil and vanilla. Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined. Scrape into prepared pan (batter will be thick). Smooth top.
• BAKE in centre of oven until loaf is dark golden and a skewer inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean, 60 to 65 min. Transfer to a rack. Let stand 15 min. Run a knife along edges of loaf pan and transfer loaf to rack.
• WHISK icing sugar and pumpkin ale in a small bowl. Spoon over top of loaf and sprinkle with pepitas.

Ingredient Tip: Pumpkin ale is sold in beer or liquor stores during the fall. Cream ale works just as well.