These cupcakes are made with a combination of ingredients commonly found in a beloved autumn pie—pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves—and enhanced with brown butter and fresh sage. To cut sage into chiffonade, or very fine strips, stack the leaves, then roll up tightly before slicing thinly crosswise with a sharp knife.

　　

Ingredients

makes 15

　　3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins

　　1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for tins

　　1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, cut into chiffonade (optional)

　　2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

　　1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

　　1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

　　1 cup packed light-brown sugar

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　2 large eggs

　　Brown-Butter Icing (page 314)

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sage, if desired, and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.

　　

Step 2

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture. Add flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.

　　

Step 3

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

　　

Step 4

To finish, dip top of each cupcake in icing, then turn over quickly and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

　　Martha Stewart's Cupcakes