Chef Tammie Barnhill
Chef Instructor, Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, General Education
"Never let fear of failure keep you from accomplishing your dreams! Ask yourself what you would do if you had no fear of failure. Step out. If someone else can learn or do something, so can you. Believe in yourself, and if you don't, then I am there to remind you that you CAN do it."
About
At 4-years-old, Chef Tammie was helping her single mother with three kids cook breakfast for the boarding house she ran. She’s been cooking ever since — from being head cook in her family-owned restaurant to making breads and cakes from scratch to canning, pickling, and preserving.
In the 80s, Chef Tammie got into the wedding cake industry, creating her company, Cake Artistry, where she sold specialty wedding cakes using various mediums like buttercreams, fondant, gumpaste, marzipan, modeling, and tempered chocolate. Later, she moved to Austin and pursued her culinary education to learn more about the savory side of cooking. After graduating top of her class, she immediately became a pastry arts instructor at Escoffier.
Chef Tammie still owns Cake Artistry as a cottage industry, and has founded an outreach club called 4U Crew which gives students an opportunity to give back to others through outreach and baked good donations.
Her main focuses are passing the whisk to the next generations, being a mother and grandmother, and traveling the world.
Honors & Awards
- Best In Show - Petit Fours - "That Takes the Cake" Cake Show
- Recognition - Bliss Bridal Magazine, June, 2020
- Best Booth Award - Meals on Wheels Fundraiser Events, Midland, TX
Certifications & Affiliations
- Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
- International Wine Guild Certified Chef of Wine Arts
- StateFoodSafety - Proctor
- National Restaurant Association ManageFirst Program-Human Resources Management & Supervision
- National Restaurant Association ManageFirst Program - Nutrition
Professional EXPERIENCE
- Executive Pastry Chef/Owner - Cake Artistry
- Pastry Chef/Pantry Chef - Jaspers, Austin, TX
- Head Line Cook - Telstar, Flomaton, AL
Dish Examples
Wedding Cake
Was honored to do my daughter-in-law's wedding cake with many gumpaste flowers.
Dinner Rolls, Bread Loaf and Focaccia Bread Art
I love art and playing with food, so focaccia bread art is a perfect combination for me!
Bread and Butter Jalapeno Pickles
Delicious bread and butter jalapeno pickles. You should try my jalapeno ice cream too!
Wine Barrel Cake
The wine barrel birthday cake features marzipan, gumpaste, fondant, and airbrush designs.
Education
- Associates of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Austin, TX
- Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Austin, TX
In The News
The Takeout 8/31/2025
Escoffier King of Chefs Blog, 11/9/2020
Special Interests
I love to garden and am big on preservation/canning/dehydrating — trying to preserve what my garden has offered. I use a water bath and a pressure cooker for items that are not acidic or sugared. I replenish my soil with organic material and save seeds for replanting. Also, I do oil paintings, play piano, and love to fish!
