Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, espresso, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, ensuring there are no visible streaks of flour. Avoid overmixing.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than two-thirds full. This recipe yields about 12 to 14 cupcakes. If baking in batches, allow the tin to cool completely before refilling and the batter can sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
Bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To make the pumpkin spice sugar, whisk together the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the stabilized whipped cream frosting, beat the cold cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar on low speed until smooth and combined.
Gradually add the cold heavy cream in 3 to 4 additions, beating well after each addition.
Add salt and vanilla extract, then whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Test by dipping the beater into the cream and turning it upside down — the peak should hold without curling. Be careful not to overwhip.
Pipe the whipped cream frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with pumpkin spice sugar before serving.