Cake and dessert designer Julia Usher has never eaten a boxed cake and has always ordered dessert before her main course. Though formally trained at The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, Usher's make-it-yourself approach and eclectic decorating style come from her mother, a self-taught baker, herb gardener, and collector extraordinaire.

In 1995, while still in culinary school and planning her own wedding, Usher was left distraught by the plethora of bland white cake and unimaginative cake designs on the market. She knew that, by combining intense flavor and high style, a well-designed dessert could cast a magical mood on its takers. Barely down the aisle, she opened AzucArte, a boutique bakery specializing in such sweets. After seven years in business, Usher has custom-made thousands of desserts for society weddings and other special events. Her attention to what's in, on, and around her sweets has put her at the forefront of dessert design.

Usher's desserts and cakes have graced the cover of Chocolatier and the pages of Vera Wang on Weddings, Pastry Art & Design, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Bride's, and St. Louis Bride magazines. Usher recently co-authored an article on holiday cakes that appeared in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion. More of her work will appear there in 2005, as well as in Chocolatier and a collaborative cookbook published by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Her desserts have also been showcased at the James Beard House in New York City. She is a former President of the St. Louis Culinary Society and a member of IACP. Usher is currently busy on her own book — a hybrid cookbook and party planning guide — which highlights many of her fantastic confections.