tablespoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon. add pecans and stir to coat evenly, transfer the nuts to a baking pan. toss the pecans with 1 tablespoon butter, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then set aside.
10. grab the cooled butter mixture and add the remaining room temperature butter, vanilla and powdered sugar to the bowl and beat until mixed. add in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
11. assemble the cupcakes: cut a cone shaped piece from the middle of each cake. fill the hole with the pecan pie filling, then add a swirl of frosting with a piping bag.
12. finish with a sprinkling of chopped pecans and 1 whole 