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.