Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Place 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tray.
Whisk together your flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a medium bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, light brown sugar and granulated together on medium speed until light and fluffy - it takes about 3-4 minutes.
Turn the speed to low and slowly pour in your maple syrup. Add the oil and beat again.
Add your eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl well after each addition. Add in your vanilla extract.
Turn the speed to low and add in a third of your dry ingredients. Mix well, then add half of the buttermilk. Repeat again, then end with the last third of your dry ingredients. Make sure there are no pockets of flour in the batter.
Fill each cupcake case up until it is ¾ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, they should turn golden brown. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar together on low speed
Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it becomes thick
Add the vanilla extract, salt and maple syrup and beat on medium-high
Turn the mixer to low, and pour in the cream until it becomes creamy and spreadable
Use a 1M piping tip to frost each cupcake. Sprinkle over chopped pecans!
Notes
My recipes have been developed and tested in metric grams. I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. I have provided a conversion to US cups but please note that I haven’t tested the recipe with this method. Just click on 'US Customary' above the ingredients to see the cup measurements. I make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature before I start the recipe, so pull out all of the ingredients before you start baking.Butter: I use European style butter, like Kerry Gold, in my recipes. This will make your finished bake much creamier and richer.Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt, halve the amount of salt called for in the recipe. 1 teaspoon kosher salt = ½ teaspoon fine salt.Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, replace it with an equal amount of sour cream. Vegetable Oil: Use an unflavoured oil like rapeseed or canola oil if you don't have vegetable oil. Storage: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature before eating. You can keep the cupcakes in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight.