In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.

Separate the eggs: place the 2 yolks into a medium mixing bowl and the 2 egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl.

Using a hand mixer or balloon whisk, beat the egg whites vigorously until glossy, stiff peaks form (about 2 to 3 minutes). Set aside.

To the bowl with egg yolks, add pumpkin puree, buttermilk, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly until smooth and fragrant.

Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir with a silicone spatula just until mostly incorporated with a few flour pockets remaining.

Gently fold in whipped egg whites in two batches, using a sweeping motion from bottom to top until no white streaks remain. Do not overmix to preserve the light, airy structure.

Preheat your Belgian waffle maker to high/medium-high. Lightly brush or mist grids with melted butter or oil spray.

Ladle roughly ½ to ⅔ cup of batter into the center of the preheated iron, spreading gently toward the edges. Close the lid and bake for 4 to 6 minutes until deep golden brown, steam stops billowing, and edges are delightfully crisp.

Transfer cooked waffles to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet (keep warm in a 200°F / 95°C oven while baking remaining waffles). Never stack them directly on plates before serving so steam escapes and edges stay shatteringly crisp!

Serve hot stacked with whipped butter, toasted pecans, and a generous pour of warm pure maple syrup!