The 'raspberry' on the top

Well yesterday night was stake leadership. My mom had given me the inspired theme 'something special happens when you put the cherry on the top', I was planning on talking about diligence and going the extra mile so I was going to make a cupcake and offer it to them un-iced and then offer a very attractively iced cupcake. It didn't quite go according to plan, I was running short of time..had woken up at 6am to work on my presentation and then went to work so i ran in the door at the end of the day and By had kindly made the cupcakes for me since he had finished work earlier than me and it was just my job to ice them. I had bought some greaseproof paper to make a makeshift icing bag ..and just like the last time my bag burst and I had to give up on beautifully piped icing! I think it must be because my icing is too thick but i love buttercream and so i'm not sure how best to do it!

Then there was the part where it was supposed to be a cherry on the top, I had bought some glace cherries even though im not a fan..and when it came down to it i decided fresh raspberries would look classier so i decorated with choc buttercream and a raspberry and then i crumbled some flake over the top. They seemed to go down pretty well..and when i got home i iced the plain one i'd used for the lesson and i was amazed at how good the raspberry/choc combo actually is - i will have to make more very soon as they were yummy!

The cupcake recipe is one I use often..it's from a what's cooking chocolate recipe book:

100g/3 1/2 oz generous 1/3 cup butter (softened)
100g/3 1/2 oz/ 7 tbsp caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
50g/1 3/4 oz/1/3 cup milk chocolate chips (i used broken up cadburys buttons)
2 tbsp milk
150g/5 1/2 oz/ 1 1/4 cups self raising flour
25g/1oz/1/4 cup cocoa powder

Icing:
250g icing sugar
125g butter (softened)
30g milk choc (melted)

I found this icing recipe off the internet..as usual it didn't work - it was completely thick and hardly chocolately so i added about another 30-40g of milk choc and that seemed to make it less thick and more chocolatey.