Ultimate Cake Off
Meet the Judges
The competition to build the ultimate cake is stiff. Meet the cake experts who will crown the winners.
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Leigh Grode
Leigh Grode is co-owner of the Cake Divas in Los Angeles. She was born in the Bronx and raised in Bayside Queens, New York. Leigh's upbringing is where she gained a great appreciation for cuisine and fine arts. She was the only person ever allowed in her grandmother's kitchen. In fact, Grandma's kitchen — along with her first EASY-BAKE Oven — was Leigh's training ground. She still rules the Cake Divas kitchen by Grandma Fay's high standards. Everything must be beyond delicious, and perfect in every way.
Leigh is also an internationally known, award-winning director of the stage. Before starting Cake Divas, she lived in Amsterdam for six years, where she studied film and television production at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy while doing course work at the University of Amsterdam and San Francisco State University. Her training in these areas gave her a fine eye for composition as well as production. These skills translated well to the designing and executing of cakes and running the time-sensitive business of a bakery.
Leigh started Cake Divas with her partner, Joan Spitler, in 1998. With Leigh's business acumen and eye for detail, Cake Divas has become one of the most well-known bakeries worldwide. The Cake Divas work with top celebrities, party planners and style aficionados to create some of the most memorable events ever. They have traveled internationally to create cakes, and are known for taking that last-minute emergency cake order for 300 people. Their work has been featured in print, film and television. Leigh has appeared on numerous television programs, including
Amazing Wedding Cakes (WE TV),
The Lazy Environmentalist (Sundance),
Martha Stewart and
InStyle Celebrity Weddings (CBS). In Los Angeles, Leigh is a regular guest on the KTLA News morning show, where she showcases dessert trends and ideas for parties and weddings. She was a guest speaker at the International Caterer's Source convention in Las Vegas in 2008, and had the pleasure of coaching Diane Keaton in cake decorating on the set of
Because I Said So. At Cake Divas, Leigh constantly pushes the creative envelope by designing cakes that challenge the staff to do seemingly impossible projects. A two-story cake in the middle of a fashion runway, a life-size cake furniture show room, and a 6-foot wedding cake encrusted with 3,000 Swarovski crystals are just a few examples.
Margaret Braun
Margaret Braun, author of
Cakewalk, is a sugar artist who
has redefined the art of cake decorating. Internationally renowned
for her boundary-breaking style and classical technique, which fuses
food and fine arts, Margaret has inspired dessert and design
enthusiasts for years. Based in New York, she has traveled the
world to create her beautiful, edible, sculptures for kings and
queens. Margaret and her cakes have been featured extensively in
print, television, radio and motion pictures.
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