She stands around 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighs in at several hundred pounds and is the sweetest duchess this side of the Atlantic. That would be the life-sized cake created in the image of the Kate Middleton holding her royal bundle of joy, a confection that is drawing crowds at the Houston Bridal Extravaganza Show.
Cake decorator extraordinaire Nadine Moon and her Who Made the Cake team worked all week to create the special cake that has its own showcase space among the 400 purveyors participating in the event at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
We're thrilled to be a part of the royal baby watch."
While Moon can't say exactly how many eggs and how much flower and sugar went into the design, she does reveal that the cake is made up of layers and layers of butter cake "for sculpting" and Rice Krispie Treats "for the areas that defy gravity." Moon allows that the Rice Krispies were employed in the Duchess of Cambridge's hair and in the baby's form. Barrels of royal icing and fondant helped create the royal look of the flowing gown.
The cake is held together with wooden dowels and cake supports and was constructed basically in two pieces — the skirt and the waist-up image.
Moon tells CultureMap that the duchess has inspired brides worldwide since her marriage to Prince William in 2011 and it seemed fitting to feature the mom-to-be as the delectable showpiece of the Bridal Extravaganza. Kate's lacy wedding gown was the basis for the gown on the cake.
Show producer Laurette Veres explains, "There are a lot of creative exhibitors in our shows so the bar is always being raised. But we have never done something on such a grand scale as this. We're thrilled to be a part of the royal baby watch."
The offer to send the cake to London as a baby gift has gone to Kensington Palace. "We sent a cake to the Turks & Caicos last winter and it worked," Moon said, "So we know we can get this to London." Just as the world is waiting for the royal birth, the Moons are waiting for the palace reply.
And, yes, word of the cake has already reached London where the Daily Mail proclaimed in its headline "Let Them Eat Kate!"
The cake will be on display throughout the Bridal Extravaganza, which continues Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15.
Also see the KHOU Channel 11 report:
Who Made the Cake owner Nadine Mon puts finishing touches on the 5'6" tall cake.
