Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes that taste just like pumpkin pie! The pumpkin cupcake is deliciously moist with hints of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla. It's topped with homemade whipped cream and pie crust cutouts for a decorated holiday treat.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin puree until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk to combine. Add half the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until barely incorporated. Add the milk and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix just until moistened.
Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. There will be enough batter leftover to make 2-3 more cupcakes. Bake those after the first batch.
Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the topping
While the cupcakes are cooling, use a 1-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes from the unbaked pie dough. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the cutouts lightly with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 10-15 minuted, until lightly golden brown. Cool completely.
Make the frosting
Make the stabilized whipped cream according to the recipe instructions. Top each cupcake with the frosting and garnish with 1 pie crust leaf.
The frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Unfrosted cupcakes will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and frost before serving.