Mermaid Cupcakes
My Mermaid cupcakes feature moist chocolate cupcakes decorated with fluffy buttercream and a mermaid tail. These are gorgeous and sure to make "waves" at your next beach party.
Just like our German chocolate cupcakes and Nutella cupcakes, our mermaid cupcakes start with a rich chocolate batter. Then they're decorated with pearls, "sand," and of course, a mermaid tail.They're fun to make and easier than they look.
So perfect for summer picnics, beach-themed parties, or even a Little Mermaid Birthday party. Serve with ocean water or a mermaid drink for an authentic beachy vibe.
Why I Love These Cupcakes
- Semi-Homemade: We're going to make our cake mix taste as if it came from a bakery with 2 secret ingredients.
- Stunning Presentation: With mermaid tails and shells, these look great on any party table.
- Easy Molds: Anyone can make cupcake art with the molds we'll use.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Triple Chocolate Cake Mix: You can use any flavor you like. This is just my favorite. Homemade cupcakes would work too!
- Butter: I use butter instead of oil when using cake mix. It lends rich flavor and perfect texture. Be sure it is softened, not melted. If you touch it with your finger and it makes an indent, you're good to go.
- Milk: I also use milk instead of water. This results in a moist, tender cupcake every time. Use whole milk for the best results.
- Cornstarch: This helps make our fondant easier to work with. You can also use powdered sugar here. Avoid flour, which you don't want to eat without cooking.
- Cake Spray: Cake spray is an edible decorating spray that comes in many colors. It helps give our mermaid tail cupcakes a beautiful shimmer and shine. I used Wilton.
- Brown Sugar: If you don't want to use brown sugar, crushed vanilla wafers, graham crackers, or even shredded toasted coconut would be similar in color.
- Food Coloring: Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors, if possible.
Ingredient Spotlight: Fondant
Made mostly of sugar and water it adds a smooth finish to cakes. Look for moldable fondant, also called rolled fondant. It is easy to work with and can be draped over cakes or put into molds. It dries out quickly so keep it covered. It also hates humidity so work with in a cool, dry space if possible. I used store-bought, but homemade would work well too.
Pros and Cons: It's smooth finish can't be matched, but some people don't love its taste or texture.
♀️How To Make Mermaid Cupcakes♀️
For the Cupcakes
- Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, milk, and eggs until well combined. Bake.
- Cream Butter: In a large bowl, cream butter. Stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. Add heavy creamy as needed to reach your desired consistency. Frost and coat.
- Soften. Coat hands in cornstarch. Work fondant until it is soft and easy to work with. Use food-safe paintbrushes to coat silicone molds with cornstarch.
- Mold: Use ~1 tablespoon of fondant per mold.
- Pipe teal frosting into the center of the cupcake. Attach mermaid tail.
❓FAQs❓
Yes! I like to make all the components one or two days in advance and assemble the day I plan to serve them.
Fondant can also be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Sure! You can also use white chocolate or candy melts in the molds. Some craft stores may also sell premade fondant tails.
Avoid plastic mermaid tails, as you don't want anyone to bite into them accidentally!
Yes! You can use edible paint or even silver luster dust instead. Apply a food-safe brush with a little bit of vanilla extract.
️Tips and Tricks️
- Ice Cream Scoop: Fill cupcakes with an ice cream scoop to ensure they are uniform in size and bake at the same rate.
- Don't Overbake: Cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched. You can also insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If you see cake batter continue baking a few minutes at a time.
- To make Fondant Easier To Work With: Dust with cornstarch or powdered sugar, never flour. After removing the fondant from the mold, use a food-safe paint brush or even a new toothbrush to brush off excess.
- Keep Fondant Covered: It dries out quickly!
- Make a few extra decorations in case any break before party day.
More Fun Cupcakes
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📖 Recipe
Easiest Mermaid Cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the Mermaid Tails and Sea Shells
- 1 Tube Pink fondant
- 1 Tube Lilac fondant
- 1 Cup Corn Starch
- 1 Can Silver Cake Spray
For the Cupcakes
- 1 Box Triple Chocolate Cake Mix
- 3 Eggs
- ½ Cup Butter Softened
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
For the Frosting & Decorations
- 1 Cup Butter Softened
- 2 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 3-5 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
- Teal Gel Food Coloring
- 2 Cups Brown Sugar
- 1 Bag White Jumbo Nonpareils
- 1 Bag Purple,Silver, and Blue Jumbo Nonpareils
Instructions
For the Mermaid tails and Sea Shells
- Lightly powder your hands with cornstarch ,and work the fondant until it becomes soft.
- Using a food safe paint brush, coat the silicon mold with corn starch.
- Tear off a tablespoon of fondant and place into the tail mold.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes before flipping over the mold and carefully pushing out tails. Spray with silver cake spray. Allow to dry for one hour.
- Repeat steps for the Seashells
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ,and line cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, and milk, and mix until combined.
- Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until about ¾ of the way full. Bake in the oven for about 21 minutes. Cool completely.
For the Frosting and Decorations
- In a large bowl, cream butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. Add heavy cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Reserve 1 cup of frosting and add a few drops of teal food coloring. Place teal frosting into a piping bag fitted with the star tip.
- Scoop some of the white frosting onto the cupcake and smooth out using an angled spatula.
- Dip the cupcake into the brown sugar to make a sand effect.
- Pipe a dollop of the teal frosting onto the center of the sand. Place the tail into the teal frosting. Place seashells around tail.
- Randomly place the nonpareils around the tail and seashells.
Notes
-
- Butter: Be sure it is softened, not melted. If you touch it with your finger and it makes an indent, you're good to go.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best results.
- Fondant: Look for moldable fondant, also called rolled fondant.
- Cornstarch: This helps make our fondant easier to work with. You can also use powdered sugar here. Avoid flour, which you don't want to eat without cooking.
- Food Coloring: Use gel food coloring, if possible, for more vibrant colors.
- Ice Cream Scoop: Fill cupcakes with an ice cream scoop to ensure they are uniform in size and bake at the same rate.
- Don't Overbake: Cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched. You can also insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- To make Fondant Easier To Work With, Dust with cornstarch or powdered sugar, never flour. After removing the fondant from the mold, use a food-safe paintbrush or even a new toothbrush to brush off the excess.
- Keep Fondant Covered: It dries out quickly!
- Make a few extra decorations in case any break before party day.
Nutrition
What do you think of these Mermaid Cupcakes?
Fun and colorful mermaid cupcakes, featuring vibrant frosting and playful decorations. A creative, eye-catching treat perfect for kids’ parties or themed celebrations!
These mermaid cupcakes are adorable and perfect for birthday parties!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
These turned out adorable!! Thanks for all the tips and details---the birthday girl and her friends loved them.
The perfect treat for any ocean-themed event! The buttercream was light and fluffy, and the decoration really stood out.
My family loved this!
These would be perfect for my daughter's birthday!
So perfect for our beach brunch ! So into the theme 🙂
These are so cute! My kids enjoyed making and eating these cupcakes!
wow! How cute these mermaid cupcakes are! The best!
These are so fun and adorable! My daughter is going to love helping me make these cupcakes! So colorful and sounds so delicious!
These are too cute! I was surprised how easy they were to make though despite looking so complicated and detailed. Even better. they also tasted delicious!
I used candy melts to make the mermaid tails, and dipped the cupcakes in crushed vanilla wafers instead of brown sugar. They turned out adorable!
These are so cute and fun! Mermaids are a big thing right now, so I know my nieces would love these.
These cupcakes were perfect for a mermaid themed birthday party! Super cute!