I live on a rather peaceful, quiet street. The kind where, as the days are become shorter, the evenings are drawn out and silent, punctuated with a hollow whistle of the wind against the window pane and the dark night illuminated in that dusky amber glow of the street lamps. Oh these autumn months, wrapping thick knit scarves around my neck, placing bourbon hot toddies in my hands and the silent threat of the office cold. I love them so much.

It’s the leaves, perhaps predictably, that I like the best though. Every morning I walk underneath a canopy of them, the street lined with equally proportioned trees standing to attention. One minute those leaves are forest green, the next a gentle flutter of crimson and burnt orange and – with any luck – a touch of frost to dust the edges for that satisfying underfoot crunch. It’s a pretty time of year and one that is synonymous with dark nights, warm hues and pumpkin pie spice. It’s predictable and slightly annoying but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Only, can I have just half cream on my PSL please?

I actually made this loaf nearly four weeks ago, when autumn was just beginning to appear but it has only now made it onto the blog, partly due to another bout of blogging burnout. But it would be a shame not to share, since its simplicity just adds to its attractiveness. There is no stand mixer or hard labour involved – the most challenging part is making pumpkin puree from scratch, which is not even difficult but a little time consuming. But for the little effort it takes to bake, you are rewarded with the sweet smell of pumpkin spice filling your kitchen with that ubiquitous autumnal smell. With a simple drizzle of bourbon glaze and the season’s favourite toasted pecans, each slice is as comforting as those scarves and hot toddies. Welcome back autumn, I have to say I’ve missed you.