Dark chocolate cupcakes and Camp Quality

Do you ever have days where you’re in awe of how wonderful people can be? I had one of those days today. I was recently invited to get involved with Camp Quality’s Dine at Mine fundraising event. Basically, you invite a bunch of your friends over, cook delicious things for them and have a wonderful time.

You can pick any date in August, and choose whatever food you like. I chose afternoon tea, because I love nothing more than drinking from pretty tea cups while eating too many baked goods.

During your event you can also ask your fabulous friends to donate some money towards Camp Quality to help them do their wonderful work. My friends acquiesced to my request, and I am currently feeling all warm and fuzzy about their generosity.

Guys – thank you, you’re a little bit wonderful.

If you do want to host your own Dine at Mine event, look here.  For 30 years Camp Quality have been providing support to children living with cancer. The money goes toward helping out the families of these children and educating people as well. I remember having a team from Camp Quality come to my primary school to teach us about what it’s like to live with cancer – they spread a message of acceptance, hope and optimism.

If you don’t have time to hold your own event, but would like to donate, I’d be grateful if you helped out here. It only takes a few seconds and every little bit helps.

Dark Chocolate cupcakes:

Makes 24

• ¾ cup sugar
• 120g butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1.5 tsp bicarb
• 1 cup milk
• 120g dark chocolate

Icing:

• ¾ cup raspberries
• 125g butter

• 2 1/3 cups icing sugar
• 2 tbsp warm water

Preheat your oven to 190° and assemble your cardboard cupcake cases on a baking tray.

Cream together butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add in the cocoa, vanilla and eggs, mix until combined. Add in the bicarb and milk, followed by half of the milk and mix well. Add in the rest of the milk.

Melt your chocolate and mix it into the batter.

Spoon the mixture into your cases and pop them into the oven for 17-20 minutes, until the top of the cupcake springs back slightly when pressed. Set them to one side to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, whip up your icing. If your raspberries are frozen, allow them to thaw first. Beat your butter and raspberries together until there are no lumps of butter left. Add in the icing sugar, one cup at a time. Add the warm water incrementally until the mixture is your desired consistency.

For a different, uniced and fruitier version of this recipe, check out my chocolate raspberry muffins.

For more photos from my Dine at Mine event, check out my Instagram feed.