This recipe makes wonderful cupcakes
Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup canola oil (I use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans (if you don’t like any of these add ins just leave them out)

Frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted. Okay, so I never really sift powdered sugar)

Preparation
For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; dust pans with flour.

****For cupcakes put cupcake papers in muffin tin. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Sift 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and oil (or oil and applesauce) in large bowl until combined (mixture will look grainy). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and orange peel; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Stir in raisins, nuts and coconut. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops. Or fill cupcake papers 3/4 full.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Bake cupcakes about 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool cakes completely in pans on rack. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper. Turn cakes over, rounded side up. Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops of cakes to level.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar in 3 additions, beating just until frosting is smooth after each addition (do not over beat or frosting may become too soft to spread). Place 1 pumpkin cake layer, flat side down, on platter. Spread half of cream cheese frosting over top of cake to edges. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting over top (not sides) of cake. Sprinkle additional coconut over. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Cut cake into wedges and serve.

GOOD TO KNOW:
It’s better to under beat the frosting than over beat it. That bit of restraint makes for a slightly firmer frosting that’s easier to spread.