Somebody should write a comic book about Maisy Page and her fellow She’s the First members. Make that a comic book-turned-blockbuster-movie franchise (complete with a signature rollercoaster at Six Flags, of course). Who wouldn’t want to follow the adventures of girls who use tie-dyed cupcakes to change the world?
Yes, that’s right. Rainbow-hued, head-turning, “OMG-did-you-see-that?!” cupcakes.
Maisy founded Florida Gulf Coast University’s chapter of She’s The First, an organization that supports girls’ education worldwide. Last fall, Maisy and members throughout the U.S. and Australia organized a bake sale featuring the eye-catching treats — and they raised more than $22,000.
That $22,400 helped sponsor 48 girls in Kenya, Guatemala, India and beyond, providing them with the resources they need to excel in school. Maisy discovered the organization through Twitter while the program was in its early stages, and she’s been a devoted member ever since.
“She’s the First is not just about sponsoring girls at our partner programs but empowering everyone involved to feel that they can use their individual talents to make the world a better place,” Maisy says.
Beyond organizing fundraisers and raising awareness at FGCU, Maisy also helps the organization on a national level as a researcher. She keeps in contact with two of the schools She’s the First supports (Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda and Starfish One by One in Guatemala), and writes blog posts to keep everyone up-to-date on what’s going on at the schools, and how the girls they sponsor are doing.
And to think their impact begins with common pantry items.
Before the Nov. 1st bake sale, the FGCU chapter tested out She’s the First’s signature cupcake recipe. It’s easier than it seems. All it takes is separating boxed cake mix batter into separate bowls — one for each color — and adding just a few drops of food coloring at a time until each bowl of batter is as vibrant as you see fit.
“We used neon dye, but we found out that the regular dyes ended up having a more brilliant color. Either way, they still looked pretty,” Maisy says.
The key to a perfectly marbled cupcake is pretty easy: once you’ve poured in the various batter colors, resist the urge to stir them all together. A gentle swirl with a butter knife is okay, but anything more than that can cause the colors to blend together, resulting in a dingy dishwater-gray cupcake. No bueno.
Top the cupcake off with a healthy dollop of frosting and a speckling of sprinkles — “You can never have too many sprinkles, right?” Maisy says — and you’ve got a She’s the First bake sale-worthy batch on your hands.
When she’s not baking for a better tomorrow, Maisy cooks from recipes found on Pinterest. The social network has inspired her to make black bean quesadillas and a tomato, mozzarella and avocado salad. She also makes a mean chocolate chip cookie, but that recipe is entirely her Nana’s. Her secret? “Add just a tiny bit more vanilla than the recipe calls for. It helps the flavor!”
Maisy is finishing up her master’s degree in Public Administration, and this November, she’ll be participating in She’s the First’s second annual bake sale. To join the globe-changing movement (no Spandex or sparkly capes required), visit ShestheFirst.org.
Want the tie-dye cupcakes recipe? You can get it here.