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| About The Artist |  | | Owner and Pastry Chef of The Cake Artist's Studio, Ashlee Roderick, is one of
Central Illinois foremost cake designers. | | In 1995, Ashlee received an A.O.S. Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts from The Culinary
Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Ashlee has also studied under master sugar artists Ewald and Susan Notter of
The International School of Confectionery Arts and professional cake designer and winner of a gold medal at the 1988 Culinary
Olympics, Betty Van Norstrand. | Her eighteen years of experience have included work in the pastry departments
of The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN, and John's Island Club in Vero Beach, FL. From 1996-1998 she was the Pastry Chef at Blantyre
in Lenox, MA, a Mobile Five Star Resort and a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateau Properties. Ashlee has been privileged
to prepare desserts for such people as Billy Joel, James Taylor, Bill Cosby, Yo-Yo Ma and The Eagles. Her work has been featured
in the popular Victoria Magazine. | Since returning to her hometown and opening The Cake Artist's Studio in 2001, Ashlee
has made more than 1400 wedding cakes and numerous birthday and special occasion cakes.
She is a member of the International Cake Exploration Societe and continues to pursue excellence in her field by participating
in educational workshops. At the 2004 World Pastry Forum held in Las Vegas, Ashlee learned from such highly acclaimed
pastry chefs as Jean Phillipe Maury, MOF, Exec. Pastry Chef at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and Wayne Harvey Brachman,
author of American Desserts and guest chef on The Food Network. In
September 2007, Ashlee competed in the National Wedding Cake Competition winning a Silver Medal in the HOllywood Glamour Cake
division of the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show in Tulsa. Out of 70 cake designers from across the country, Ashlee
finished in the top 15 finalists with her cake entitled, " We're not in Kansas anymore." This six-tiered "Wizard
of Oz" fantasy cake was a hit with all ages and was seen by thousands of show visitors. American Cake Decorating
Magazine chose Ashlee's cake to be featured in its first coffee table book showcasing the Tulsa show. In April 2008, in Baltimore, Ashlee competed in the largest wedding cake competition
in the nation. The Mid-Atlantic Cake Show. Her fabric inspired entry, "Flowers with Character", earned
Ashlee another silver medal. In October 2009, sweet success came
to Ashlee, again, as she competed along with 70 other cake designers, in the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show in Tulsa. The theme
for competition was "Of Sea and Shore". Ashlee's pulled sugar anemone topped the blue fondant covered multi-tiered
wedding cake entitled, "Sea of Love". Elements of the sea adorned the cake including orange gelatin corals
and pearlized gelatin fish scales. The judes awarded 5 gold and 10 silver medals with Ashlee receiving a silver.
This award winning cake is on display in the showroom. | |
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