The Costly Art Of Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes are a big thing in Western culture, where the delectable spongy goodness is cut at the reception and served to the guests after dinner. However, weddings from all around the world have now adopted this tradition. From engagement cakes to wedding cakes, these sugary treats now come with staggering price tags. The price of a wedding cake is determined by its flavour, design, decoration, weight, and number of tiers. On average, wedding cakes range from INR three to ten thousand, but in extreme cases, the prices may go up to lakhs. However, your jaws will drop to the floor when you find out about the world's most expensive wedding cake, which costs a million dollars, or above INR 8 crore!

The world's most expensive wedding cake was made in Dubai by ace baker Debbie Wingham and her team. The cake was unlike any traditional wedding cake and was shaped like an Arab bride. From the dress to the flowers to the intricate pearls and diamonds on the cake, all were edible and handcrafted by Debbie's team. The Arab bridal cake is 182 cm high and weighs 120 kg, making it one of the largest cakes in the world.

The most expensive wedding cakes are adorned with many tiers, gold leaf details, and actual diamonds. Here is a list of some of the most expensive wedding cakes ever made:

- Debbie Wingham Runway Show Cake: $74 Million

- National Gay Wedding Show Cake: $52.7 Million

- Luxury Bridal Show Cake: $20 Million

- Kate Middleton and Prince William: $80,000

- Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka'oir: $75,000

- Princess Diana and Prince Charles: $71,600

- Liza Minnelli and David Gest: $40,000

- Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian: $20,000

- Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Nick Jonas: $19,000

- Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III: $12,800

Debbie Wingham's Runaway Cake: $75 million

Debbie Wingham's Runaway Cake is the most expensive wedding cake ever made, costing a staggering $75 million. The cake was created for the birthday-cum-engagement party of the daughter of an anonymous Arab couple based in the United Arab Emirates.

The cake, weighing 1,000 pounds and measuring six feet long, was designed to resemble a fashion runway, complete with a six-foot-long runway and sculpted figurines depicting runway show guests. The cake was made with Chocolate Ganache and Triple Belgian Chocolate. However, it was the 4,000 diamonds adorning the cake that gave it its hefty price tag. These included a 5.2-carat pink diamond, a 6.4-carat yellow diamond, and 15 five-carat diamonds, totalling $45 million in value.

The cake was created by British designer Debbie Wingham, who is known for her innovative use of diamonds in her creations. Wingham has stated that she is a "big fan of Arabian culture" and wanted to incorporate it into the design of the cake. The cake was showcased at the Dubai World Trade Center in 2019 as part of Wingham's bridal cake collection, where it was viewed by over 200 attendees.

National Gay Wedding Show Cake: $52 million

The National Gay Wedding Show Cake, created for the National Gay Wedding Show in 2013, is the world's most expensive wedding cake. It was created by Jules and Tim Smith in Chester, England, and cost a whopping $52 million.

The cake was an eight-tiered, simple white fondant cake with no details on its core flavour. What made this cake so expensive was the 4000 diamonds used to decorate it. The five-foot, eight-layer cake was sold for $52 million due to the diamonds it contained. In 2013, it broke the record for the most expensive cake, which was previously held by the Pirate's Cake.

The cake took just five days to make, and while it was entirely edible, it didn't feature any innovative flavours or intricate designs. The bakers, Jules and Tim Smith, commented:

> I know there is a lot going on with the recession, but this is only a bit of fun, it's not to be taken seriously.

The National Gay Wedding Show Cake was displayed at the show, which took place in Liverpool, and it certainly succeeded in attracting attention and breaking records.

Luxury Bridal Show Cake: $20 million

The Luxury Bridal Show Cake, costing a staggering $20 million, is a sight to behold. Created by Nahid Parsa of La Patisserie Artistique for the Beverly Hills Luxury 2006 Bridal Show, this nine-tiered cake is a true work of art. Standing at one and a half feet tall, the cake is brushed with gold flakes and adorned with large diamonds, giving it a majestic and elegant look.

The cake takes the shape of a bride's gown, with pink flowers blossoming at the bottom, adding a touch of femininity and grace. It is said that the diamonds were so elegantly placed that they were hardly noticeable at first glance. The cake was also covered in gold dust, giving it a luxurious and opulent finish.

Security was tight around this precious cake, with six guards assigned to protect it during the event. While it was indeed edible, no one was allowed to come close to it, ensuring that this masterpiece remained untouched.

The Luxury Bridal Show Cake truly lived up to its name, dazzling guests at the bridal show and leaving them in awe. It is a testament to the skill and creativity of its creator, Nahid Parsa, who has established a reputation for crafting unique and exquisite cakes.

With a price tag of $20 million, this cake sets a high bar for luxury and extravagance, showcasing the lengths to which people will go to make their special occasions truly memorable.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's Royal Cake: $78,000-$80,000

Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding cake was crafted by baker Fiona Cairns. The eight-tiered, three-foot-tall, 220-pound fruit cake was adorned with intricate handcrafted details, including the couple's monogram, 17 types of flowers, and over 900 sugar paste bows, ribbons, and flowers. The cake was intentionally more modest in height compared to other royal wedding cakes, but it still made a grand statement with its intricate details.

Cairns described the brief from the couple as "not to be ostentatious or grand, but romantic and informal in structure." She also noted that Kate had a clear vision for the cake, stating, "Kate designed her wedding cake because she knew very clearly what she wanted and did not want." The cake took five weeks to make, with Cairns and a team of 50 designers and bakers working on it.

The cake was displayed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, and a door had to be removed to get it inside! It stood tall alongside the couple, who were dressed in their Alexander McQueen gown and military uniform, respectively. The cake was so large that it was saved and served at the christenings of the couple's first two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The royal wedding cake is estimated to have cost between $78,000 and $80,000, making it one of the most expensive wedding cakes in recent history. The cost can be attributed to the intricate handcrafted details and the careful assembly of the tall cake.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles' Cake: $40,000-$71,600

Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding cake was a five-tier, 5-foot tall, 225-pound masterpiece, decorated with royal emblems and a coat of arms. It was created by head baker at the Royal Naval cooking school, David Avery, and Chef S.G. Sender. The cake was a traditional fruitcake, in keeping with royal tradition.

The cake was one of 23 official wedding cakes made for the royal couple, with this particular cake being a gift from the Queen Mother to Moyra Smith, one of her employees at Clarence House. A slice of this cake was sold at auction in 2021 for $2,500, and again in 2025 for $190.

The overall cost of the wedding was estimated at $48 million, with the cake priced at around $71,600.

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