Make up the cake mix according to manufacturer’s instructions. For each pound of prepared cake batter, mix in 2grams OR 1tsp pumpkin pie spice and 3 ounces canned pumpkin. Line a cupcake pan with liners and deposit prepared cake mix (we used a #16 blue scoop to deposit 1.5oz batter here). Bake until cupcakes spring back lightly when touched. Let cool completely.
Fold in spice and puree to prepared cake mix. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with paper. Using a blue scoop, deposit 1.5oz batter into each liner and bake until cake springs back lightly when touched. Let cakes cool completely and de-pan.
To Decorate
Place cupcakes into a decorative liner, ice with pumpkin cream cheese filling and top with prepared tuile.
In a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream together 8oz soft butter and 8oz powdered sugar until a soft paste forms. Temper in 8oz room temperature egg whites, scraping down the bowl often. Add 6oz flour all at once and mix until well combined. Divide prepared batter into 5 containers, using food coloring color one yellow, another orange, the third red, and the 4th maroon- leaving one plain with no color, add brown as needed to mute the colors to a fall palette. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 350F. Place a non-stick liner on a very flat half sheet tray. Using a leaf stencil, place a few colors of prepared cookie paste and swipe over stencil using an offset spatula. Remove stencil and bake for roughly 5 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. While the cookie is still warm, carefully remove it from the pan using an offset spatula and mold around a dowel to give the cookie shape. If cookies become too cool, they can be popped in the oven again and warmed to become pliable.