Contrary to popular belief, you can have your cake and eat it too. You just have to make it tasty and look enough like an everyday object to fool Chrishell from Selling Sunset. A total cakewalk, right? 

Well, the 10 extremely talented bakers competing for the cash prize in Is It Cake, Too might beg to differ. In a competition where the chefs have mere hours to engage in high-stakes cake fakery, anything basic just won’t cut it. So in Season 2 of the gloriously unhinged baking battle, the contestants put even more heart, soul and commercial grade fondant into their hyperrealistic bakes to fool a panel of celebrity judges. The result? The most mind-blowing, lifelike cakes that need to be seen (and, don’t forget, tasted) to be believed. But, in the end, host Mikey Day can only crown one baker as the champion of the competition and that distinction belongs to (major spoiler alert!) Elizabeth Rowe.

Yes, all hail Queen Elizabeth, who, over eight episodes, consistently wows the judges with her extremely detail-oriented edible creations — everything from a Dr. Martens boot and a softball glove to a yoga mat and a paint-splattered tool bag. In the end, Rowe not only takes home $75,000, but also an additional $15,000 from her winnings over the course of the season, bringing her cash prize to a grand total of $90,000.

But that’s just the icing on top of the life-changing experience. Check in with the “Stitch Witch” below to learn what she’s been cooking up since the competition.

First off, how did you find your way into the world of hyperrealistic baking? 
I’ve loved cake decorating for a very long time, which stems from childhood. But the turning point for me was when I was asked to audition for one of my first cake shows, Halloween Wars. They told me, “This is your chance to show our producers and casting team what you can do, so make it super realistic and really creepy. We want you to think ‘horror.’”

Afterwards, I sent them the picture of my piece and they said, “Obviously, you have a knack for cake decorating, but you need to tone it down. It’s way too realistic. This is a family [and] kid show and you’re going to scare all the kids.” It was one of those moments where you step back after you’re done and I saw this creepy, life-size zombie clown head on my table. I was like, “Ooh, that’s even giving me shivers.” Since then, detail has always been my love and I always put extra detail into any cake. That’s what makes a cake to me and what elevates it to that next level.

So when this opportunity came along, did you feel like you could just fully unleash your skills? Had you been wanting to get on the show? 
I saw the first season, and I was like, “Oh, they’re making hamburgers and tacos.” I thought, “I love making food. This is so easy.” I was very excited when I heard that I was going to get to do that, but I had no idea what was in store [for Season 2]. I was completely surprised and gobsmacked to see some of the objects they put in front of us and what we would get to pick from. It definitely was way more intricate and complicated. I thought, “Oh bloomin’ heck, what did I get myself into? I thought I was just going to be making tacos, french fries or a bowling ball! Maybe a purse? And then they start putting gym equipment in front of us…”

Once you got your footing, what was the bake that you were most proud of?
I was probably most proud of the Dr. Martens boot and the glove with the softball.  I have done boots before —  not exactly the same kind —  but making that glove was the hardest one. I technically had two objects that I had to perfect that were going to be side-by-side compared to the real thing. I’d never even seen a softball or a softball glove before in person. I’m a Texan, but I’m also half British, so I don’t get to see much sports outside of cake life. So that was tricky.

You mentioned excelling when it comes to details and it seemed like you were able to step more into that confidence as the show went on. Zooming out, how did this experience challenge you and help you hone your skills?
With each cake you do, you’re perfecting your ability to translate what you see into the cake you’re working on. It’s one thing to see, but it’s a totally different thing to try and make your hands replicate what your eyes see. You’re also having to do it in a different situation, where you’re not in your usual environment. It’s not just you making this cake for a client in your own surroundings. You’ve got the pressures from the cameras and you’re competing. Being up against the clock with all these different tools and materials at your disposal just really makes you focus on making sure that you’re doing the best that you can and as quickly as you can. You don’t have a choice, so it definitely helped me to be better at seeing what a cake needs to look realistic. 

And you’re not only baking the cakes, but you had to suss some out as well in the Is It Cake mini game. And you weren’t so lucky…
I sucked. For starters, you’re so many feet away. That’s obviously really difficult and I don’t have the time to move around and take a peek from different angles or get up close. Those artists do such a phenomenal job. I actually hate that they do such a good job, because it would’ve made my life a lot easier. It was a running joke, because as soon as I got to play for the cash I was like, “There’s no point. You might as well just give it to the next person, because I’m not going to get it.”

Throughout the season, you mention wanting to repair the damage to your home with the prize winnings. Have you done that? What does the home front look like nowadays?
Knowing that the money is coming, I did go ahead and get a loan, so I could fix up my house. I got the ceiling fixed, which is fantastic. Now, I’m not looking up at insulation, air conditioning, fans and things like that. The floor now is how it should have been and the mothballs are gone. I did get everything done before my wedding, because we held it at the house. We had everything looking good for the big occasion. It also meant I got to have some of my family come over from England to be there.

We must discuss your wedding cake! Was it hyperrealistic or more traditional? Did you feel some pressure to make it extra fabulous? 
There was so much pressure. At first, I wasn’t worried at all. The cake is not super important to me because I’m around cake all day long. We could have just plain cake or cheesecake, and I’m going to be thrilled. I was like, “I don’t want to stress about it.” But then every single time someone found out that I was getting married — whether it was a customer or it was someone through the wedding industry —  they were like, “Oh, you’re getting married? Your cake is going to be amazing.”

I ended up sitting down with my team. We designed it. I had a proper consultation like my clients do, and we designed a modern cake with geometric elements with an ornate design. It was a little European, but I didn’t want a plain boring white cake. I went with a dark emerald green and gold accents. Something a little dark, a little moody, but also elegant and modern.

And what about the flavor? 
Oh, so many flavors! I actually pulled a couple from the show like campfire s’mores flavor and a boozy naughty Texas turtle one. 

Looking ahead, what do you hope this next chapter will bring for you? 
I try to keep my excitement contained, because I never want to be disappointed. I would hope that this opens up more doors. I would love to get to do some Netflix cameos like [Season 1 winner] Andrew Fuller. 

It would also be awesome to be a judge on a show. I don’t know if I would be kind of mean like Gordon Ramsay or just very happy, bubbly and completely British like in The Great British Bake Off. Ultimately, I hope that I get to see and hear about people just really enjoying the show. At the end of the day, what makes me smile is knowing I got to be a part of something that enriched someone’s life in some way. Even if it means them laughing at me, I’m down for that.

This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.