For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
5. Use a mixer or whisk until thoroughly combined. 
7. Spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
9. Move the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
10. Frost the cupcakes with the frosting of your choice, canned, homemade, or our choice, or our favorite cream cheese frosting. (insert link to the frosting recipe)
11. Decorate with pumpkin-themed toppings or leave plain. 

For the frosting:

Make a batch and a half of frosting. I used our favorite homemade Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.

Remove approximately 1/3 of the frosting and place it in a bowl. Set it aside for the pumpkins. If the frosting is soft, add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, a bit at a time, to firm it up for piping the pumpkin decorations.

Frost the cupcakes. Use a piping tip with a single 1/2” hole in a circling pattern starting at the edge and building up height in the center. Refrigerate the cupcakes to chill the frosting.

Meanwhile, divide the remaining frosting into two bowls, one with 2/3 of the frosting and the other with 1/3. Use a few drops of orange food coloring in the bowl with the most frosting and green food coloring in the other.

Place the orange frosting into a piping bag with the same 1/2” holed tip with which you frosted the cupcakes.

In the center of the frosting, slightly push the tip down on the white frosting and pipe out a large circle of frosting, pushing down to make it squish out into the shape of a pumpkin.

Use a toothpick to score vertical lines resembling a pumpkin's grooves.

Fill a second piping bag fitted with a tiny hole opening with the green frosting. Pipe squiggly lines to look like tendrils on a pumpkin vine. Refrigerate the cupcakes.