Mermaid Cupcakes with Mermaid Tail Cupcake Toppers

Planning a mermaid theme party? Here are some mermaid tail cupcakes that are shimmery and fun and will truly make your day more fun than it was going to be. Why? What little kid doesn’t get fascinated at the site of a mermaid tail? Best of all, these mermaid tail cupcakes are tasty, and every bite is edible. An under the sea cupcake, that will take anyone’s breath away.

Mermaid tails, mermaid blankets, wigs, you name it, you will see it everywhere right now. What lures kids and adults into these cupcakes is how colorful and fun they are. These are served on a French vanilla cake, and then a mix of fondant with homemade frosting. I know they look a little intimidating but trust me, you can totally conquer the mermaid cupcakes.

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Fun Mermaid Tail Cupcakes

The mermaid tail toppers are made from fondant. They are quick to make, and a lot easier than using a mold and chocolate that you end up needing to paint afterward like some recipes are online. With a little prep, you can have your mermaid tails and shells ready to go. Then just frost and decorate the cupcakes and you are ready to serve them up.

Tools Needing For Mermaid Tail Cupcakes

Mermaid Tail and Shell Mold

Because of the mermaid tail, you will need a mermaid tail mold, along with seashell molds. You can get a kit that has the seashells and mermaid tail mold in one. So it is less expensive than buying both.

Fondant

You can make your own fondant or take the shortcut and buy fondant. To be honest, I know fondant can be finicky to make, so I always buy fondant to save time and stress.

Paint Brush Set For Food

Paint brushes that are meant for food are great for this recipe. You need to lightly coat your molds with cornstarch, and the paint brushes work beautifully in getting in the small areas while not applying too much cornstarch.

How To Make Mermaid Cupcakes with Mermaid Tail Toppers

I know there are a lot of steps, but the process is easy. Work on making your fondant mermaid tails and shells, then move on to your colorful cupcakes.

The frosting is worked in layers, so it really makes it stand out from the different designs used. The bottom is covered in sprinkles, then the next layer is tall and fluffy. It adds height and dimension to the cupcake.

Add on our tail and shell, and look at that cupcake truly transform in seconds.

Mermaid Tail and Seashell Ingredients

1 Tube of Pink fondant
1 Tube of Lilac fondant
1 C of corn starch
1 food safe paint brush (Wilton sells a set of 5 at Michaels )
1 tube of gold luster dust

Directions for making Mermaid Tail and Seashells

Lightly powder your hands with the cornstarch and start to work the fondant until it becomes soft and easy to work with.
Using one of the brushes, dip it into the cornstarch and lightly coat the silicone mold
Tear off a tablespoon amount of fondant and mold it into the tail mold.
Once that is done, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before flipping over the mold and carefully push out the fondant tail out of the mold.
Once all tails have been molded, lightly dip the tip of a paintbrush into the gold dust and brush the tail with it
Let the mold dry for 1 hour.

Repeat steps for the Seashells as you did for the mermaid tails.

Ingredients for Mermaid Cupcakes

1 box of french vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 C of softened unsalted sweet cream butter
1 C whole milk
blue, pink, purple and green gel food coloring

Directions for cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pan with the liners
In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, milk, and mix until combined
Divide the batter into 4 small bowls
Add a few drops of the food coloring to a bowl. One color to one bowl
Mix until combined and the colors are bright and vibrant to your liking
Using a spoon, start spooning 1 color of batter into the cupcake liners
Repeat step with other colors until 3/4th full
Bake in the oven for about 21 minutes
Pull out and place on the side to cool

Frosting Ingredients

1 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
2 1/2 C powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-5 TBSP heavy whipping cream
Blue and pink gel food coloring
1 bag of Wilton White Jumbo Nonpareils Sprinkles
1 bag of each Wilton Purple, green, Blue, orange Jumbo Nonpareils Sprinkles

Directions for Frosting and Assembly of Cupcakes

Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed
If your frosting starts looking like powdery rocks, add another tablespoon of heavy whipping cream
Mix until you see creamy stiffed peaks
Once the frosting is made, scoop about 1 C of frosting into the 3 bowls
Add a few drops of the blue food coloring into one bowl
Add a few drops of pink into the second bowl
Leave the third bowl white
Scoop blue frosting into the piping bag with no tip
Frost the cupcakes
Dip the frosting into the sprinkles
Using the piping bag with the star tip, scoop pink frosting onto one side of the piping bag
Scoop white frosting onto the other side
Pipe a medium dollop of frosting into the middle of the blue
Push the mermaid tail into the pink and white frosting
Place a shell piece onto the side of the frosting
Enjoy!