For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill 24 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.
3. Whisk together or sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soad and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Add the butter to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugars and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time and mix on medium speed after each addition until incorporated.  Add the pumpkin and mix to combine. Add the sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to wet mixture, mixing just until dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix.
5. Using a large ice cream or cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Note: These cupcakes do not rise alot, so it is safe to fill them more than regular cupcakes.
6. Bake cupcakes for approximately 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes and transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the Buttercream

1. Add butter to a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Cook butter, while gently swirling pan, until butter has browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese on medium speed until creamy and free of any lumps. Add the butter, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Refrigerate frosting for about 15 minutes, due to the addition of hot melted butter. Turn mixer on medium speed and mix frosting again until light and fluffy. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of half and half or milk if needed to thin frosting to the perfect piping consistency. Make sure you only add 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing after each teaspoon. It doesn’t take much milk to thin frosting.
4. Fill a pastry bag 3/4 full with frosting. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
5. Place a sugared pecan on top of each cupcake and allow cupcakes to set for a few minutes until the frosting sets up a little before placing into a cupcake carrier.
6. Refrigerate cupcakes if not serving the same day. Allow to set out at room temperature for at least one hour before serving.

For the Sugared Pecans

1. Add butter to a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the sugar and pumpkin pie spice and mix to incorporate. Add the pecans and stir over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the pecans are coated with the wet mixture. Transfer to parchment paper and spread out evenly. Allow to cool. Store unused pecans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.