• Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• In a small saucepan/bowl, combine instant coffee and milk until the coffee is fully dissolved. You might need to heat the milk. Set aside to cool until warm or at room temperature.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the butter, and using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg whites and eggs to the coffee-infused milk (cooled) and whisk together.
• Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix until you get a smooth batter with no lumps.
• Divide the batter between the 12 liners.
• Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the cupcakes from the tin and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coffee Frosting:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 100 ml of the double cream with cappuccino powder and instant coffee granules (about 15-20 seconds) until dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.
• Whip the remaining double cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form, using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or hand mixer.
• Add the coffee cream, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking continuously on medium speed. Add as much as desired for taste and consistency.
• Follow these directions carefully for optimal results.

Assembling the Coffee Cupcakes:

• Use an apple corer or an actual cupcake corer to create a hole in the middle of each cooled cupcake. Fill each cupcake with caramel.
• Transfer the coffee frosting to a piping bag (use your choice of piping tip) and decorate the tops of the cupcakes.
• Top with 2-3 coffee beans for each cupcake, if desired.
• Enjoy!