Rotorua high school students bake cupcakes as refugee centre fundraiser

Students work hard and get creative making their cupcakes. Photo / Supplied

Those with a sweet tooth would have been spoilt for choice by the range of creative cupcakes made by John Paul College students, fundraising for a cause close to the school.

Brendan Davis, John Paul College head of department food and nutrition, says the students from both year 11 food and nutrition classes made more than 250 cupcakes.

"There were pineapples, mermaids, rainbow flowers, snowmen, turtles, butterflies, sheep, bird's nests and cookie monsters.

"The students enjoyed the whole creative process of learning how to make flowers and animals with fondant icing."

He says the students also enjoyed practicing the piping skills and learning how to make their own paper piping bag to use for their chocolate butterflies or designs.

The cupcakes underwent a judging process, too. Those who had the difficult task were three teachers who are passionate about food, and pastry tutor Renato Zanoli from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.

A range of the creative cupcakes baked by students. Photo / Supplied

"As part of the year 11 assessment they are entered into a cooking competition at Wintec in Hamilton, but this year because of Covid-19 the competition was cancelled.

"So, I decided to do our own competition and use this as an opportunity for the students to give back to the community, which they were all happy to do."

The results were announced on Wednesday at the school's assembly.

"The judges took an hour-and-a-half to taste and dissect all 250 cupcakes, with plenty of water in between as we had some very sweet butter cream."

Brendan says the college has a long-standing relationship with the refugee centre in Hamilton.

The college's students have a programme each year, with the centre's children coming to Rotorua for a day out and being buddied up with a student to go around Rotorua's beautiful city.

The students raised $400 for the centre through their cupcake fundraiser.

"It made sense to give the refugee centre the proceeds as the students related to their needs and how it is such a difficult time to have to leave your own country with only your belongings.

"We also had an earlier event during last term of an International Food Day, with more than 20 countries represented, cooking food from their region and selling to students which raised $3000 for the refugee centre."