Eeeek!! I just can’t get over how crazy cute these Mermaid Cupcakes are!!
Easy Mermaid Cupcakes
Perhaps you’ve seen the gorgeous over-the-top mermaid cupcakes making the rounds on social media over the past year or so. Wouldn’t they be gorgeous for a summer pool party or mermaid-themed birthday party?!
Good news: they’re not as difficult as you might think to re-create at home!
We used a box cake shortcut to save time on our cupcakes – you can also do this for the frosting, or use our homemade frosting recipe below.
We’ll show you our favorite mermaid cupcake ideas so you can create super cute treats for your next event!
PS – If you want to make gluten free mermaid cupcakes, try using the white cupcake recipe from our Cherry Donut Cupcakes or strawberry-flavored recipe from our Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcakes.
— Stacey
How to Make Mermaid Cupcakes
First, watch our quick video demo below, then keep reading for photo step-by-step directions. A free printable copy of the full mermaid cupcakes recipe is available at the end of the post.
Click video to play:
PS- The font we used for our video is super cute isn’t it? We found it and many other at Kevin & Amanda Fonts for Peas.
How to Make Unicorn Sprinkle Mix
If you can’t find a mermaid or unicorn sprinkle mix in stores, you can easily make your own by combining 1 package each of light green, light Blue, and purple nonpareil’s and/or sprinkle jimmies in a small mixing bowl.
How to Make Fondant Mermaid Tail Cupcake Toppers
For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to products used to make our mermaid cupcakes recipe; read our disclosure policy here.
What you need:
- Silicone mermaid tail fondant mold (you might want to grab a couple molds to make your tails faster)
- Hot pink fondant
- Cornstarch
- Food safe paint brush
- Gold cake decorating spray
Lightly powder your hands with cornstarch and knead the pink fondant until it becomes soft and malleable.
Using one of the brushes, dip it into the cornstarch and lightly coat the silicon mold
Tear off a tablespoon amount of fondant and press into the tail mold. Allow to set for 5-10 minutes, then flip over the mold and carefully push out the fondant tail out of the mold.
Once all tails have been molded, spray the top of each tail with gold spray cake spray.
Allow to dry for about an hour.
TIP: You can also use colorful melting chocolate to make your mermaid cupcake toppers.
How to Make Mermaid Frosting
What you need:
- 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream (as needed)
- Pink and blue gel food coloring
- 2 Plastic piping bags & a star tip
Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium speed. You can also use a hand mixer with a large non-slip mixing bowl.
If your frosting still seems powdery or chunky, add another tablespoon of heavy whipping cream and continue to mix until you have creamy stiff peaks.
Split frosting into two bowls.
Add 2-3 drops of pink gel food coloring to one bowl and 2-3 drops of blue gel food coloring to the second bowl. Mix each frosting until you have a bright pink and bright blue.
Scoop the pink frosting into a plastic piping bag and blue frosting into a second piping bag. For the pink frosting, you can simply trim an opening in the piping bag. For the blue frosting, we recommend a star tip.
To Decorate your Mermaid Cupcakes:
Prepare cupcakes according to directions on box (or using one of our gluten free cupcakes recipes).
When cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, pipe a medium size dollop of pink frosting onto the top of each cupcake.
Use a butter knife to spread the frosting to cover the top of cupcakes.
Dip the top of the cupcake into the mermaid sprinkles, allowing excess sprinkles to drop back into bowl. Repeat as needed until most of the frosting is coated in sprinkles.
Pipe a dollop of blue frosting on top of each cupcake, in the center. Gently press a fondant mermaid tail cupcake toppers into the frosting so that they are secure.
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Grab a Free Printable Copy of our Easy Mermaid Cupcakes Recipe:
If you like this recipe, rate it! We’d also love to hear what you think in the comments.
Easy Mermaid Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 12 vanilla cupcakes
- 1 cup mermaid sprinkles
Mermaid Tails Ingredients:
- 1 tub hot pink fondant
- 1 cup of corn starch
- 1 can gold cake decorating spray
Homemade Mermaid Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- pink and blue gel food coloring
Instructions
How to Make Fondant Mermaid Tails
- Lightly powder your hands with cornstarch and knead the pink fondant until it becomes soft and malleable.
- Using one of the brushes, dip it into the cornstarch and lightly coat the silicon mold
- Tear off a tablespoon amount of fondant and press into the tail mold. Allow to set for 5-10 minutes, then flip over the mold and carefully push out the fondant tail out of the mold.
- Once all tails have been molded, spray the top of each tail with gold spray cake spray.
- Allow to dry for about an hour.
How to Make Mermaid Frosting
- Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium speed. You can also use a hand mixer with a large non-slip mixing bowl.
- If your frosting still seems powdery or chunky, add another tablespoon of heavy whipping cream and continue to mix until you have creamy stiff peaks.
- Split frosting into two bowls.
- Add 2-3 drops of pink gel food coloring to one bowl and 2-3 drops of blue gel food coloring to the second bowl. Mix each frosting until you have a bright pink and bright blue.
- Scoop the pink frosting into a plastic piping bag and blue frosting into a second piping bag. For the pink frosting, you can simply trim an opening in the piping bag. For the blue frosting, we recommend a star tip.
Put it All Together:
- Prepare cupcakes according to directions on box.
- When cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, pipe a medium size dollop of pink frosting onto the top of each cupcake.
- Use a butter knife to spread the frosting to cover the top of cupcakes.
- Dip the top of the cupcake into the mermaid sprinkles, allowing excess sprinkles to drop back into bowl. Repeat as needed until most of the frosting is coated in sprinkles.
- Pipe a dollop of blue frosting on top of each cupcake, in the center. Gently press a fondant mermaid tail into the frosting so that it is secure.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More of our Favorite Mermaid and Unicorn Recipes
Edible Unicorn Horns made with Ice Cream Cones
- Brownie Bread - September 21, 2023
- Easy Pulled Pork Tater Tot Casserole - September 20, 2023
- Nutter Butter Halloween Treats - September 15, 2023
[…] PS- If you love all things unicorn, be sure to check out our edible unicorn poop play dough recipe too or our Mermaid Cupcakes! […]