Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting and Secret Recipe Club!

As I was checking out recipes for this months Secret Recipe Club I fell in love with the blog that I was assigned. A lady after my own heart - recipe after recipe of delicious treats and goodies! It was so hard to find the one recipe that I wanted to make for this month's SRC posting...

Ultimately it felt like fate had smiled upon me when I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes. I had just made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars and had a lonely can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge, waiting to be used up in some sort of delicious way... This was definitely a delicious way!! The brown butter, both in the cupcakes and in the frosting gave this "another cupcake recipe" the kick that it needed to become wonderfully awesome!! It has such a distinct taste and flavor that I completely fell in love with them. They were super moist and while she suggests eating them the same day that they are glazed - my kids and nephews couldn't get enough of them the next day either! :) Try them - you will NOT be disappointed!! And while you are at it - head on over to visit Avanika and check out her other recipes.... I know that I will be back to try her Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake!



Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting
(recipe found at http://www.yumsiliciousbakes.blogspot.com/)

Cupcakes:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups flour
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, cut into chiffonade - she didn't use these and neither did I...
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

Preheat oven to 325. Brush a muffin pan with butter, then dust with flour, tapping out excess. (I used muffin liners, I love the easy clean up! :) In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the sage, if using. Cook until the butter turns golden brown, swirling occasionally, about 10 minutes. Skim foam off the top. Pour into another bowl to stop further cooking, leaving an burned sediment behind. Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugars, eggs and brown butter mixture. Make sure the butter has cooled down so you don't cook the eggs. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans, filling not more then 3/4 of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool, and store at room temperature overnight, or frozen up to 2 months in an airtight container.

Frosting:
Brown the butter the same way as before. Add sugar, vanilla and milk to the butter, stir to combine. Add more milk if you feel it's needed, you are aiming at a thick glaze. Use immediately. Dip the cupcake tops into the glaze and allow to cool.