1. Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves. Make sure there are no lumps and the spices are evenly distributed.

3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, large eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. Then, stir in the pumpkin puree and milk until the mixture is uniform and creamy.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix until just combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle a generous amount of this cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of each muffin.

6. Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops should be golden brown and spring back lightly when touched.

7. Once baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy them warm or at room temperature.