Cappuccino Cupcakes

I have come to the conclusion that I am the last person on the planet who drinks decaffeinated coffee.  I wish you could see the looks on the waiter's faces when I ask for a cup of decaf coffee at the end of a meal.  You would have thought I asked for a cup of Ice Cucumber Pepsi.  (That's really a thing by the way.) 

I stopped by Panera the other day to grab a quick cup of decaf on my way home from a hectic shopping trip and they told me that it's company policy to STOP serving decaf after 3:00 in the afternoon.  (Does that make ANY sense to anyone?) 

Since I don't drink coffee very often, it is really just easier to make my own decaffeinated coffee at home to satisfy my coffee craving.  Want to know what else satisfies my coffee craving?  Cappuccino cupcakes.  You can make these in regular or decaf.  They are super yummy and easy to make.  (Much easier than finding a cup of decaf in a restaurant.)

Cappuccino Cupcakes

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons decaf espresso powder
  

Combine sugar, butter and vanilla in bowl of standing mixer.  Beat well.

Beat in eggs.

Stir instant coffee into buttermilk.

Stir together dry ingredients. 

Add dry ingredients to batter in three separate batches, alternating with buttermilk. 

Scoop batter into cupcake pan and bake 22 minutes at 350. 

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Now I have a great excuse to make a pot of decaf at home for myself.  If I can't finish the whole pot - I can use it to make a batch of these yummy cupcakes too.  Win-Win.

Ciao!

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