This sweet girl, Maggie McClew, has been a part of my life since I met her parents in 1997 and this past weekend she graduated from high school. In August she heads West to Lubbock and will be attending Texas Tech University.
Maggie and her sister, Kaitlyn, mean so much to me that when Mr. Man and I married nearly 5 years ago they were part of our wedding.
Maggie and her sister, Kaitlyn, mean so much to me that when Mr. Man and I married nearly 5 years ago they were part of our wedding.Awww... aren't they sweet?
So, when her mom was planning Maggie's graduation party I jumped at the chance to provide dessert for the big celebration. And, of course, cake pops just had to have a place on the table.
The colors at Texas Tech are red, black and white so this was going to be fun! 
I practiced baking a cake in the logo pan, but was disappointed with the results. Then, inspired by another baker, I decided to use Rice Krispy Treats to fill the pan.
So, when her mom was planning Maggie's graduation party I jumped at the chance to provide dessert for the big celebration. And, of course, cake pops just had to have a place on the table.
The colors at Texas Tech are red, black and white so this was going to be fun!Baking the cake wasn't nearly as intimidating as decorating the cake; I'm still learning but thought I'd make a go at it anyway.
Months ago I found and ordered a 3 dimensional Texas Tech logo cake pan.
Knowing that I would need a pretty big cake to feed all of the attendees, I went to Cake Carousel and purchased a 1/2 sheet cake pan. The bottom of the cake is made from 3 recipes of Mom's Chocolate Cake and the top layer is 3 recipes of vanilla cake.
I practiced baking a cake in the logo pan, but was disappointed with the results. Then, inspired by another baker, I decided to use Rice Krispy Treats to fill the pan.
This would also allow me to decorate the majority of the logo with tinted buttercream frosting and the easily transfer the logo from parchment paper to the top of the cake.
The most difficult aspect of the entire endeavor was tinting the frosting which took quite 
CONGRATULATIONS, MAGGIE!
The most difficult aspect of the entire endeavor was tinting the frosting which took quite a bit of Wilton gel.
I learned a lot along the way, like when tinting frosting black, begin with chocolate frosting. Next time I'm going straight for the dark chocolate frosting in the can and then will add black tint. Making the frosting a day or two ahead of time and then allowing it to sit in the fridge is also one of the tricks of the trade. The colors will deepen as time goes by.
It took a couple of days to make the cake, but it was worth every single minute when I walked into the McClew home, holding the cake. Mom, Michele, took one look at it and her eyes welled up with tears; that meant so much to me.
CONGRATULATIONS, MAGGIE! You have grown into a beautiful young woman and we are so excited for you!
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