Every great holiday memory has a flavour: smoky bread on open coals, sticky fingers from cupcake frosting. This International Chef’s Day (20 Oct), kitchens all over the world are inviting children on a foodie-forward adventure: discovering not just the joy of cooking, but also the colourful, creative, and sustainable side of food. It’s a global celebration that’s very close to our hearts at Morukuru Family, where family and food are forever entwined.
If you’re searching for a way to kick-start the adventure, why not try Chef Esmaralda’s favourite recipe for vanilla cupcakes? They’re soft, simple, and perfect for little hands to help at every step, from cracking eggs to swirling on the icing.
The 2025 Chef’s Day Call to Adventure
This year’s International Chef’s Day theme encourages children everywhere to jump in, stir, taste, ask questions, and savour the kitchen – as a place of eating, learning, laughter, and discovery. It’s about healthy habits and real, unfiltered fun. We believe every child should have the chance to mash dough, pick fresh herbs, and dream up confections of their very own (and yes, to lick the spoon).
At Morukuru Family, Kitchens are for Kids, Too
Morukuru Family Madikwe and De Hoop are alive with little hands kneading, mixing, decorating, or simply gathered around the fire with a marshmallow on a stick. As Esmaralda, our Executive Chef in Madikwe Game Reserve says:“When children understand the origins of their food, they gain respect for the earth and for every ingredient they touch. Besides, making a cupcake from scratch brings more joy than anything you can buy.”Recently, a young guest’s dream of making the famous “Dubai chocolate” led to an inventive, delicious session with our chefs, proving that curiosity (and a little improvisation) are always welcome. At Morukuru Family De Hoop, General Manager Mauritz has seen children’s imaginations take flight when presented with a bowl of pizza dough or cupcake toppings.
“It might sound like a cliché, but kids are the future. The sooner they get involved with good, responsible cooking – and have fun while doing it – the better.”You might catch a group of giggling chefs-to-be around the fire at Morukuru Beach Lodge, toasting marshmallows at sunset, or elbows-deep in cupcake batter on a blustery coastal day.
Tips for Parents on Bringing Culinary Curiosity Home
- Start where you are: Invite your children into the kitchen, even if the result is a little (or A LOT) of flour on the floor.
- Make it fun and fearless: Let kids choose an ingredient, decorate in wild colours, or play “chef’s choice” with pizza toppings.
- Grow together: Connecting food to its roots brings learning full circle, whether it’s a pot of basil on a sunny windowsill or a veggie patch in the garden.
- Embrace the flops: As Mauritz says, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Some of the biggest flops result in the most fun and creativity!”
If you’re searching for a way to kick-start the adventure, why not try Chef Esmaralda’s favourite recipe for vanilla cupcakes? They’re soft, simple, and perfect for little hands to help at every step, from cracking eggs to swirling on the icing.
Morukuru Family Madikwe Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 10ml vanilla essence
- 8ml baking powder
- 1½ cup cake flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup milk
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Cream the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, and then gently mix in the dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla. Spoon into cupcake tins and bake 15-20 minutes. Top with your favourite coloured icing and plenty of sprinkles!
Butter Icing
- 125ml butter, softened
- 500ml icing sugar, sifted
- 15-30ml milk
- Food colouring (optional)
Beat butter until pale, add icing sugar, and adjust with milk; add colour as desired.
The Most Important Ingredient
When one of our littlest guests once asked, “What’s the most important ingredient in the kitchen?”, our chef Pieter had a simple answer: salt. But maybe there’s something even more essential…curiosity or the boldness to try, fail, and try again. This International Chef’s Day, we raise a flour-dusted chef’s hat to young adventurers everywhere… and to the families who make the kitchen a place of freedom and joy. Here’s to your stories, your recipes, and the little hands shaping the future, one cupcake at a time.