Gertrude Poundcakenstein, known professionally as Lil' Poundcake, is a fictional character created by American drag performers

Alaska Thunderfuck Justin Andrew Honard (born March 6, 1985), best known by the stage name Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 or Alaska Thunderfuck and Mononymous person, mononymously as Alaska, is an American drag queen and singer from Erie, Pennsylvania. She is best know ...

and

Lineysha Sparx Lineysha Sparx is the stage name of Andrew "Andy" Trinidad, an Afro–Puerto Rican drag performer who competed on the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Career Trinidad competed as Lineysha Sparx on the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag ...

. Lil' Poundcake made her first television appearance in the episode "

Draggle Rock "Draggle Rock" is the third episode of the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. It originally aired on February 11, 2013. Coco Austin and Paulina Porizkova are guest judges. Detox wins the episode's main challenge, and Monica Beverly Hillz ...

" on the fifth season (2013) of the American television series ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

''. The character has made subsequent appearances within the ''Drag Race'' franchise, and Alaska has referenced Lil' Poundcake in other works.

Description and origin

Lil' Poundcake is the stage name of the fictional character Gertrude Poundcakenstein. She was described as a "deranged and angry"

beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes sol ...

"competitor from hell" when she was originally created by drag performers

(or simply Alaska) and

during a challenge on the third episode ("

") of the fifth season (2013) of the American television series ''

''. ''

Xtra Magazine ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...

'' described Lil' Poundcake as a "snide, bratty little child" and noted that Alaska "writes a pitch-perfect story of a precocious young dick-pig who loves riding dirty and regularly screams 'you're not my adand you never will be! Lil' Poundcake wears a pink dress and a has frown painted on her face. According to ''

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

'', Lil' Poundcake is "Alaska's alter ego that has become as loved as the queen, herself. This character costume involves heavy white makeup and dark eye makeup with a bright fuchsia gown ensemble."

Subsequent appearances and influence

Lil' Poundcake has been referenced repeatedly in the ''Drag Race'' franchise. Alaska dressed as Lil' Poundcake on the second season (2016) of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...

''. In the eighth season (2023) of ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'', the contestants appeared in a

true crime True crime is a genre of non-fiction work in which an author examines a crime, including detailing the actions of people associated with and affected by the crime, and investigating the perpetrator's Motive (law), motives. True crime works often ...

spoof titled "Forensic Queens: Wha-Ha-Happened to Lil' Poundcake?". The original Lil' Poundcake doll is kept in the '' Untucked'' lounge. A large version of Lil' Poundcake appeared in the first episode (" Squirrel Games") of the seventeenth season (2025) of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' in which, during a ''

Squid Game ''Squid Game'' () is a South Korean Utopian and dystopian fiction, dystopian Survival film, survival Thriller (genre)#Television, thriller horror television series created, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. The series revol ...

''-inspired challenge, Lil' Poundcake throws pies at contestants. In 2016, Alaska released her second studio album '' Poundcake''. The album's title and the song "Puppet" refer to character. The album was promoted by a music video for the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

"Puppet". The music video, directed by Santiago Felipe, shows Lil' Poundcake "pulling a Wall Street heist with her cohorts and spitting some hilariously foul lyrics"; according to ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' magazine's Patrick Crowley, "After losing a beauty pageant of sorts, a crazed Gertrude Poundcakenstein goes on a crime spree. Joined by her sidekicks, Juicy Liu and Chocolate Puddin, she robs a bank and wreaks havoc on Lower Manhattan." Adam Salandra of

Logo TV Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...

's ''NewNowNext'' wrote, "When the puppet with daddy issues loses a beauty pageant to Baby Thunder Thighs in the video, she also loses her mind, transforming into an evil version of Lil' Poundcake before our very eyes. With a freshly painted mug and revenge on her mind, she sets out on a crime spree with tragic results." Alaska also supported the album with her Poundcake World Tour, a

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

show featuring

Jackie Beat Jackie Beat (born July 24, 1963) is the drag persona of actor, singer, songwriter and screenwriter Kent Fuher. Beat has appeared in a number of independent feature films both in and out of drag, including '' Wigstock: The Movie'', '' Flawless'', ...

as an opening act. ''Billboard'' included "Puppet" in a 2019 list of the 20 best songs by ''Drag Race'' contestants, stating: "A deliriously upbeat, catchy hook pairs well with the unrepentantly filthy (and hysterical) lyrics on this standout track ... She has a number of excellent songs, but the Lil' Poundcake-inspired 'Puppet' is undeniable." In 2017, Alaska released a commercial for her Lil' Poundcake

plush Plush (from French ) is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, ...

doll, featuring ''Drag Race'' contestants Jiggly Caliente and

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

Chappell Roan Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her Camp (style), camp and drag queen–influenced aesthetic. Her debut EP, ''School Nights'' (201 ...

has worn an outfit inspired by Lil' Poundcake.

References

External links

* * {{RuPaul's Drag Race RuPaul's Drag Race Television characters introduced in 2016