A high-end couturier and self-described ‘countess of confection’ has revealed how she was asked to create a 6ft 1in RuPaul cake decorated with £250,000 worth of diamonds for a virtual charity bash.
Debbie Wingham, who is based in the UK, designs lavish outfits, accessories, artworks and novelty gifts for wealthy clients all over the world.
She made headlines in October when it was revealed she had planned a £21.5million virtual birthday bash for a billionaire, complete with a bejewelled dress that cost £20million.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Debbie revealed how millionaire clients recently asked for a £15,000 cake in the shape of drag queen RuPaul Charles for a virtual party, even though lockdown restrictions meant guests weren’t in the room to enjoy the dessert.
Cover girl! A high-end couturier and self-described ‘countess of confection’ has unveiled a 6ft 1in RuPaul cake decorated with £250,000 worth of diamonds, pictured
Sparkling: The cake was used to showcase seven sizable diamonds that were auctioned at the fundraiser: a 2ct teardrop diamond, two 3ct white diamonds and four 2ct pink diamonds
In demand: Debbie, pictured, made headlines when it was revealed she had planned a £21.5million virtual birthday bash, complete with a bejewelled dress that cost £20million
The cake remained in Debbie’s atelier and was shown off over Zoom, while guests logged on from respective homes across several continents.
‘I’m known for thinking outside the box but even for me this was a crazy commission to create a life size style icon and not deliver it to a client upon completion,’ she told FEMAIL.
Made from Rice Krispies and decorated with gold leaf and diamonds, the cake was ordered by a group of millionaire girlfriends hosting a virtual charity fundraiser.
Debbie, who remains tight-lipped on the identity of her clients, explained the organisers wanted to have the showstopping sweet treat because they wanted to make it feel as much like a normal party as possible.
Shantay, you slay: Made from Rice Krispies and decorated with gold leaf and diamonds, the cake was ordered by a group of millionaire girlfriends hosting a virtual charity fundraiser
Werk: Debbie, who remains tight-lipped on the identity of her clients, explained the organisers wanted to have the showstopping sweet treat because they wanted to make it feel as much like a normal party as possible. Pictured, the finished cake with its platinum and gold leaf
More is more: In total Debbie used 80 boxes of Rice Krispies, 25,000 mini marshmallows, 14kg sugar paste, 5kg modelling chocolate and 150 pieces of gold and platinum leaf
The confection was also used to showcase seven diamonds that were auctioned: a 2ct teardrop diamond, two 3ct white diamonds and four 2ct pink diamonds.
‘My clients wanted Ru to be adorned with a lot more diamonds but I wasn’t comfortable with that since I don’t want the security implications of high value stones in my atelier,’ Debbie said.
‘Security was outside my atelier throughout the event they delivered the stones an hour before and left with them immediately after Ru Paul left the Zoom celebration.’
As the cake was remaining at Debbie’s she crafted the base of the cake out of Rice Krispies bonded with sugar and marshmallows.
In total she used 80 boxes of Rice Krispies, 25,000 mini marshmallows, 14kg sugar paste, 5kg modelling chocolate and 150 pieces of gold and platinum leaf.
She also added little touches like pulled sugar eyelashes, poured sugar nail extensions with edible metallic paint and edible lustre dust eye shadow.
Queen of confection: Couturier Debbie Wingham with the cake cake. To save time, Debbie uses a face mould created by Mike Viner, which she adapts to the celebrity she’s recreating
Accessories: The decolletage was accentuated with sprinkle beads strung like a necklace
Attention to detail: Debbie also added little touches like pulled sugar eyelashes, poured sugar nail extensions with edible metallic paint and edible lustre dust eye shadow
The outfit was created using the sugar paste embossed with the texture of canvas.
The piece took seven days to make, with much of that time spent on the face and internal structure to support the body. To help save time, Debbie uses a face mould created by Mike Viner, which she then adapts to the celebrity she’s recreating.
Debbie, who specialises in ‘cakealike’ celebrity lookalike cakes, added: ‘I have always been a Ru Paul fan so I was delighted to create him and when I was told I had free reign on what Ru would wear, I was even more ecstatic.
‘The only input the clients gave was I need to incorporate a florescent colour and so I decided to go for a bold hair colour, instead of bringing that fluorescence to the outfit, that seemed too obvious.
‘Since all my cakes are grand and created for huge events every commission I had for 2020 and 2021 had been cancelled so I was thrilled to get my sugar paste out again.’
Among the other items auctioned was an Hermes Birkin bag, a signed Banksy and a week on a private island, Debbie said.
Showstopper: The finished RuPaul cake which made an appearance at the virtual fundraiser