Cappuccinos n' Cream cupcakes

Yesterday was a blah day. I woke up later then usual, it was kinda grey out and I was just in an "I don't feel like doing much" mood. I was having a love relationship with my coffee that morning though so I decided that I should at least make some cupcakes if I wasn't going to do much else and because my coffee was so delicious, I thought I'd try a cappuccino cupcake.  Charlotte loves coffee too so i knew she'd love these. Not that I let my 2 year old drink coffee but if she begs me enough I let her have a lil' sip now and then.

So to make these here is what I did:
6 tbsp softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups AP flour 
3/4 cups milk mixed with 6 tbsp of instant espresso powder
Beat everything together and I baked at 350 for about 17 minutes. This batter made 12 cupcakes. They look like a ginger snap color and are very light and fluffy. After I let them cool- I filled and frosted them with a light espresso icing.
3 tbsp butter softened
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
a little over a 1/2 cup of heavy cream mixed with a tbsp of espresso powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
They looked a little boring so I also topped em with a few little sugar pearls. Not the most fun looking but these cupcakes are DELICIOUS! Bean ate one in like 10 seconds, and not just the icing, the entire thing and I caught her a few times that night trying to steal another one off the platter!!