Melanie Judge, The Cake Doctor
Melanie has been decorating cakes since 2008. She discovered her passion during her graduate studies at the University of Florida. Ironically, she was pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical research, studying obesity. As a stress reliever, she began by taking Wilton Method courses at Michael’s Craft Stores and was offered a teaching position the month after she finished the courses. Because her thirst for knowledge is not easily quenched, she scoured the public library shelves for cake decorating books and learned more advanced techniques, like extension work and gum paste flowers, on her own. Melanie thrives in competition, and in her short career she has won four Best of Shows, eight 1st Places, one 2nd Place, two 3rd Place, one Decorators’ Choice, and two Crowd’s Favorite prizes. She has been published in many magazines, including the American Cake Decorating Magazine, Mailbox News, and the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES) newsletter.
When Melanie is not elbow-deep in buttercream, she enjoys being a new Mommy to her precious daughter Mikaela. She also walks in the Tampa Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, which raises money for breast cancer research, treatment, and awareness. She is passionate about this cause and has chosen to donate a percentage of every Ph.D.-serts & Cakes cookie order placed before October 2012 to her team’s fundraising total.