Pumpkin Bread w/Caramel Icing

"As if the pumpkin bread wasn't delicious enough, my Mom took it a step further and added caramel icing on top.  I love to eat it with coffee in the morning or for a mid-day snack."

3-1/3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

 

Combine the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs and water.  Stir into dry ingredients.  Add pecans, if desired.  Pour into 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pans.  Allow to cool completely and frost with caramel icing (recipe follows).

 

Caramel Icing:

1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup evaporated or canned milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
 

In a saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar and canned milk to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. *Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Ice loaves. 

*Mom's Tip:  To keep Icing from being lumpy, you can use a hand mixer to mix in powdered sugar and vanilla.