Cupcake

The maple is among the most prized trees in the American Northeast, beloved for its bright fall foliage as well as the syrup made from its sap in the spring. Here the crimson autumn leaves are cast in marzipan and placed atop maple-flavored cupcakes and frosting. Keep these cupcakes in mind for Thanksgiving or a leaf-peeping picnic in the country. Unfrosted cupcakes, still warm from the oven, are great for breakfast. For where to find the leaf cutters, see Sources, page 342.

Although the flavor might seem unusual for a cupcake, sweet potatoes have long been pureed and baked into desserts, such as sweet potato pie. This playful rendition of a traditional Thanksgiving side dish—complete with mini marshmallows and candied pecans on top—will appeal to anyone who loves the sweet, earthy flavors of root vegetables. Serve the cupcakes as one component of a holiday dessert buffet. If you like, bake and mash the sweet potatoes the day before you make the cupcakes; let cool completely and refrigerate, covered.

This festive dessert was created for a Hanukkah celebration. To make the design, place a star-shaped cookie cutter on a frosted cupcake, then fill in with vibrant blue nonpareils. You could, of course, modify this idea with other cookie cutter shapes—just make sure they’re no larger than three inches wide, so they’ll fit atop a cupcake.

Gobble, gobble! Gummy candies, marshmallows, and toasted coconut flakes make excellent facial features and feathers for tiny Thanksgiving “turkeys.” Coconut marshmallows are available at specialty stores and online; if you can’t find them, make your own: Coat marshmallows with buttercream and then dip them in ground, toasted coconut.

Gingerbread is the most recognizable Christmastime flavor; the scent of its signature spices baking in the oven fills a home with holiday cheer. These cupcakes are made with the same mixture of spices—nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and ginger—as the tiny gingerbread-cookie boys and girls they are topped with. The recipe for the cookie dough will yield more cutouts than you need to decorate twenty-two cupcakes; serve extra cookies alongside.

These cupcakes get their flavor from a traditional Indian spiced tea, known as masala chai. The tea is often lightened (and sweetened) with condensed milk; here, condensed milk is used to make the glaze.

Inspired by the time-honored specialty cakes of Christmas, these down-scaled versions are studded with mixed dried fruits and nuts and flavored with spirits. Once baked, they are blanketed with billowy frosting and topped with another familiar holiday treat, meringue mushrooms. In place of the apricots, figs, and dates used here, you may substitute other fruits, such as dried pineapple or candied citrus peel. Just be sure to purchase good-quality fruits from a store with a high turnover (avoid supermarket varieties sold as “mixed candied fruit”) and use kitchen shears to cut the fruit into uniform pieces.

Stout beer, which gets its dark color and bold flavor from roasted malt, is sometimes used in English and Irish recipes for spice cakes and quick breads. The cupcake versions make excellent hostess gifts or after-dinner treats; serve them with coffee or glasses of stout.

Pumpkin spice cupcakes topped with tiny marzipan pumpkins are an unexpected alternative (or addition) to pie for Thanksgiving, but these treats would also be welcome at a Halloween party or any other fall occasion.

Over the years some of the most popular recipes in Martha Stewart Living have featured the combination of chocolate, ginger, and other spices, including cookies, brownies, and spice cakes. These dapper upside-down cupcakes are the latest variation on the theme.

Unlike the creamy American dessert of the same name, puddings from Great Britain are dense and cakey. This small-scale version includes pureed dates and a splash of brandy; after baking, the puddings are coated with a delectable toffee glaze.

Drizzled with a liquor-spiked caramel glaze and filled with rum-soaked raisins, these cupcakes are reminiscent of a popular ice cream flavor

These glazed cupcakes are adapted from a recipe by Martha’s late mother, Martha Kostyra, who was an avid baker. She especially enjoyed making spice cakes. The orange glaze is also hers, but the cupcakes would be equally delicious topped with cream-cheese frosting (page 303) or brown-butter icing (page 314). Don’t skip the crucial step of sifting the dry ingredients three times, as it helps to fully distribute the spices for the best flavor.

With their cookie-crumb crust, creamy filling, and fruity topping, individual cheesecakes are a delightful spin on the full-size dessert. Glossy apricot jam gives the desserts a golden glow, while store-bought chocolate wafers provide a crisp, quick-to-assemble base.

Appearances can be deceiving: These sugared flower–topped cupcakes look like dainty petits four, but the lavender-flavored and-colored icing hides a rich chocolate brownie cupcake. Look for dried lavender at specialty markets or online; edible pesticide-free flowers can be found at baking-supply stores. You can also make the icing without the lavender.

Make the most of fresh cherry season by baking the little stone fruits right into charming tea cakes. The cakes, made with ground almonds, brown butter, and egg whites, are similar to financiers, which are small, springy brick-shaped cakes named for their resemblance to gold bullion. These cakes are baked with the pits left inside the cherries (be sure to warn guests before serving). Or, if you prefer, remove the pits before baking, leaving the stems intact.

Green-faced, straggly-haired witches may look mean, but they are actually sweet chocolate cupcakes dressed up for Halloween. Inverted chocolate ice-cream cones make perfectly pointed hats. Bake a coven’s worth and set them out on display to greet—and treat—Halloween party guests.