Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

1. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (if using).
2. Make the pumpkin bread batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, stirring until well combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. If using, fold in the nuts.
3. Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with sugar, vanilla extract, and egg until smooth and creamy.
4. Assemble the bread: Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the batter. Top with the remaining pumpkin bread batter, smoothing it out gently with a spatula to cover the cream cheese filling completely.
5. Bake: Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean (it might come out with a little cream cheese, but not batter).
6. Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.