Pumpkin, Sage, and Browned Butter Cupcakes. What dessert recipe gets more autumnally indulgent than THAT? The sage is swirled with the brown butter, offering a savory, sweet, almost umami flavor. The pumpkin keeps the cupcake moist, which also gets a helping hand from the brown butter icing.
Fall is officially here!
Well…it’s actually been here for like, over a week. But today marks the first day of October. Which in my mind, might as well signal the first day of ACTUAL Fall.
You know what else? It’s the first day of National Cookbook Month! I’m a sucker for a good Hallmark holiday. But this one actually means a lot to me, and I’ve been working tirelessly (seriously) on preparing for it. You see, I absolutely LOVE cookbooks. Always have. I’ve read countless cookbooks cover to cover (refer here)- and it never gets old. I always find a new trick, a favorite recipe, and true inspiration in the pages written by some well-known, and not-so-well-known chefs, homemakers, entertainers, and foodies.
And to kick off National Cookbook Month, what better way than to start with the OG of everything homemade:
MARTHA.
Best part is, you know who I’m talking about! Like, come on. Who doesn’t know Martha Stewart. She is literally a household name.
(But if you didn’t I really didn’t mean to offend! But come on, man. Let’s get you acclimated to common day reality).
Ok, these cupcakes. THESE CUPCAKES. As I have hungrily flipped through every recipe in Martha Stewart’s cookbook “Cupcakes”, it really has been difficult to show restraint. First of all, the cupcakes are organized by chapters of:
- Swirled & Sprinkled
- Dipped & Glazed
- Simple & Sweet
- Filled & Layered
- Piped & Topped
- Birthdays
- Holidays
- Celebrations
Literally a cupcake for every single occasion of yah LIFE.
Baby shower? Pistachio-Rasperry Tea Cakes are perfection.
A special someone’s birthday? Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache will make them feel extra special.
A girl’s night in? Lavender-Iced Brownie Cupcakes are every bit elegant as they are easy.
But these deliciously sweet-savory morsels are THE cupcake for Fall. And let me tell you why.
THEY HAVE SAGE IN THEM. And don’t you dare run away in fright that something “green” or “herby” is in your dessert, because GOOD LORD.
GOOD LORD.
Those are literally the only words.
Even a friend who HATES desert (I know, why am I even friends with her?), found these absolutely irresistible.
The pumpkin offers that warm and delicious spice that is so familiar this time of year.
The butter is BROWNED (my new favorite food group), in which the sage is added. You guys. It is so insanely good.
And of course, to top it all off….
The only frosting you’ll ever need for all of eternity: BROWN BUTTER ICING.
Again, GOOD LORD. I’m having difficulty functioning just thinking about it. Actually….hold please….
K, sorry. Jut had to stuff my face with another cupcake. The extra dollop of frosting was not added by me. It was Martha.
On that confessional note, I think it’s time I should go. And you should go.
GO MAKE THESE CUPCAKES!
But really, I’m serious. Like, go make them. Now.
Stay tuned for more delicious recipes from my favorite cooks, author’s, and friends. Can’t wait to share what I’ve been cooking up!
Pumpkin, Sage, & Brown Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup 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
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
For the Brown Butter Icing:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp milk plus more if needed
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- 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, 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.
- 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.
- Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cake tester inserted in center 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.
- 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.
For the Brown Butter Icing:
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour butter into bowl, leaving behind any burned sediment.
- Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to brown butter, stir until smooth. If necessary, add more milk (up to 2 tablespoons) a little at a time, just until icing is spreadable. Use immediately.
YUMMY! These look SO GOOOOOOOD.
Linley – OMG, they REALLY ARE! YOU have to try them. Stat.