Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. I suggest lining it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides—this makes it so easy to lift the bread out after baking.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Make sure everything is evenly combined to avoid any lumps in your batter.

In another bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, and milk until smooth. I like using a hand mixer for this step, but a whisk works just as well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix this keeps the bread tender.

Beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until silky smooth. If your cream cheese is too cold, you’ll end up with lumps, so make sure it’s softened properly.

Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture on top, then repeat with the remaining pumpkin batter and cream cheese. Use a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese into the batter, creating a marbled effect.

Bake the bread for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out. Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.