How to Make Mermaid-Themed Cupcakes with Edible Mermaid Tails
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These Vanilla Mermaid Cupcakes are pure magic for birthdays, beach-themed parties, or any day you want to add a little sparkle. I’ve always loved working with colorful themes, and these cupcakes are one of my favorite ways to play with pastels, shimmer, and fun textures in the kitchen.
The very first time I made these cupcakes was for my daughter’s mermaid-themed birthday. I spent the day before prepping the edible candy tails using my Mermaid Tail Silicone Mold and edible glitter. When she saw the final cupcakes lined up on our cake stand—swirled with dreamy pastel frosting and topped with sparkly mermaid tails—her jaw literally dropped. That moment made all the effort worth it!
Now, she requests them for just about any occasion: slumber parties, pool days, and even just to brighten up a school week. It’s become a fun tradition between us—baking, frosting, and dusting each tail with sparkle together. These cupcakes always remind me of those sweet, creative afternoons.
If you love creating playful desserts, you’ll also enjoy my Unicorn Chocolate Cupcakes, Mermaid Cake Popsicles, or Unicorn Rainbow Buttercream Frosting. For a seasonal twist, my Easter Bunny Cupcakes are a pastel-lover’s dream, and if you’re feeling crafty, don’t miss my DIY Mermaid Pumpkins for a non-edible take on the theme.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Adorable and Impressive – They look bakery-perfect but are totally doable at home.
- Customizable Colors – You can match any party theme with different frosting and candy melt shades.
- Make-Ahead Elements – The mermaid tails can be prepped early to save time on the big day.
- Great for Kids to Help With – My daughter loves brushing on the glitter dust!
Equipment I Use & Why
- KitchenAid Mixer – I love using this because it creams butter and sugar quickly and efficiently, giving my cupcakes that light and fluffy texture. It also makes whipping up the buttercream frosting effortless, especially when you need that perfect swirl.
- Mixing Bowls – Having multiple bowls helps keep things organized and prevents cross-contamination between wet and dry ingredients. I use separate ones for eggs, dry mix, and final batter.
- Blending Whisk – This is my go-to tool for evenly combining dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, and salt. It’s gentle and prevents overmixing which can make cupcakes tough.
- Cupcake Pan + Multicolor Metallic Liners – The cupcake pan ensures even baking while the metallic liners make the cupcakes extra festive and fit the mermaid theme beautifully.
- Batter Scoop – Using a scoop helps me portion batter evenly so every cupcake is the same size. It’s quick, clean, and guarantees consistency.
- Cooling Rack – Once out of the oven, I transfer cupcakes to the rack so air can circulate around them. It prevents soggy bottoms and speeds up cooling.
- Piping Bags + Ties + Piping Tips – These are a must for decorating. The jumbo tips help me create pretty, bakery-style swirls, and the ties keep frosting from leaking out.
- Cake Spatula – Great for scraping bowls clean or leveling off candy melts in molds. It’s especially helpful when working with delicate details like mermaid tails.
- Mermaid Tail Silicone Mold – This is key for creating uniform, detailed candy tails that pop right out after chilling. I use mine often for themed treats.
- Food Brushes – These let me apply edible glitter precisely to the mermaid tails and shells. It’s a fun finishing touch that brings the whole design to life!
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Ingredients & Healthier Substitutions
Cupcakes
- ½ Cup Butter (room temperature) – Swap with avocado oil or a plant-based butter for a lighter option.
- ¾ Cup Sugar – Substitute with coconut sugar or a monk fruit blend for a lower glycemic option.
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ Cups All-purpose Flour – Use a 50/50 mix of whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour for added fiber.
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sour Cream – Replace with plain Greek yogurt for added protein and creaminess.
- ½ Cup Milk – Use almond milk, oat milk, or another dairy-free milk to make the cupcakes lighter or dairy-free.
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 Cup Butter (room temperature) – Swap with a dairy-free butter alternative if needed.
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar – Can be replaced with powdered monk fruit sweetener or powdered erythritol for a lower-sugar option.
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 tbsp Milk – Any plant-based milk works well as a substitute here too.
- Food Coloring (blue, lavender, teal or your favorite mermaid shades)
Mermaid Tails & Shells
- Wilton Candy Melts – Blue, Lavender, and Green
- Edible Glitter Dust
Garnish
- Mermaid-Themed Sprinkles
How to Make Mermaid Cupcakes
These mermaid cupcakes are simpler than they look and fun to make from start to finish. Here’s how I do it step-by-step. This method works whether you’re making them for a birthday party, summer celebration, or just because your kids love anything glittery and ocean-themed.
1. Bake the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare cupcake liners.
- Whisk eggs and vanilla in one bowl, and flour, baking powder, and salt in another.
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with milk and sour cream.
- Mix just until combined, then scoop into liners.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack.
2. Make the Frosting
- Beat butter until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk, mixing between additions.
- Add food coloring and beat until smooth.
- Fill piping bags and frost cooled cupcakes.
3. Make the Mermaid Tails
- Melt candy melts and coconut oil in squeeze bottles using warm water.
- Fill molds, scrape excess, and chill for 10 minutes.
- Unmold and brush with edible glitter.
4. Decorate the Mermaid Cupcakes
- Top frosted cupcakes with mermaid tails and sprinkles.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Package Cupcakes for Gifts
Cupcake Tools and EquipmentHow to make stunning homemade cupcakes by using my must-have cupcake tools and equipment! As a busy baker I absolutely love my craft! I love taking simple recipes for cakes, cookies, and cupcakes and turning them into gorgeous edible creations that come with that “WOW!” factor! One of my top favorite baked…
Tips & Notes
- To thin the icing, add milk gradually until you reach the consistency you like. This makes piping easier and gives the frosting a smooth finish.
- Make your mermaid tails ahead of time! Store them in a sealed container in the fridge so they’re ready to go when you start decorating. It’s a big time saver.
- If your candy melts harden inside the bottle, just pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Once it solidifies, give it a good squeeze to break it up—this makes cleanup super easy.
- Let your cupcakes cool completely before frosting to avoid melting the buttercream.
- I like to use a star or French tip for a magical swirl effect—it really brings out the mermaid theme.
- Use a mix of blue, teal, and lavender frosting in one bag to create that ocean ombré effect kids absolutely love.
- These are perfect for birthdays, pool parties, or DIY cupcake bars where everyone can decorate their own!
Cupcake Tools and Equipment
How to make stunning homemade cupcakes by using my must-have cupcake tools and equipment! As a busy baker I absolutely love my craft! I love taking simple recipes for cakes, cookies, and cupcakes and turning them into gorgeous edible creations that come with that “WOW!” factor! One of my top favorite baked sweets to experiment with is cupcakes. Cupcakes can be made in every flavor combination and for any kind of event imaginable. And I love to do just that! For my homemade cupcakes, I love to go all out with fabulous frostings, decorative sprinkles/toppings, and cute cupcake toppers! I…
Mermaid Theme
More Themed Treats to Try
- Unicorn Chocolate Cupcakes
- Mermaid Cake Popsicles
- Unicorn Rainbow Buttercream Frosting
- DIY Mermaid Pumpkins
These Vanilla Mermaid Cupcakes bring under-the-sea sparkle to any celebration. Fun, whimsical, and full of color, they’ll be the highlight of your dessert table!
Happy baking, and may all your cupcakes be magical! 🧁🧜♀️✨
Vanilla Mermaid Cupcakes
How to Make Mermaid-Themed Cupcakes with Edible Mermaid Tails
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Butter Room Temperature
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Sour Cream
- ½ Cup Milk
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 Cup Butter Room Temperature
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 tbsp Milk
Mermaid Tails and Shells
Garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a stand mixer (or by hand) until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and adding in the sour cream. Mix gently between each addition until just combined.
- Use a large batter scoop to divide the cupcake batter evenly into the 12 prepared liners.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
- Add butter to a clean mixing bowl and beat for 5 minutes, until light and doubled in volume.
- Add vanilla, then gradually add powdered sugar and milk, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well between additions.
- Add your favorite food coloring (blue, lavender, teal) and continue beating for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
- Fill large piping bags using a spatula or spoon. Use jumbo round or French piping tips to frost cupcakes.
Mermaid Tails and Shells
- Place candy melts in squeeze bottles and set them in a saucepan of medium heat water (not boiling). Cover and let them melt on medium-low.
- Once melted, invert bottles into a cup and let cool slightly until the chocolate settles to the tip.
- Squeeze candy melt into mermaid tail molds, smooth the surface with a cake spatula, and place the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
- Remove the set candy tails from the molds and place them on a baking sheet. Use a food-safe brush to apply edible glitter dust.
- Once cupcakes are frosted, gently press a mermaid tail into each one. Finish with mermaid sprinkles for a magical touch.
Notes
- To thin out the icing, add in the milk slowly and gradually.
- When done with the candy melt, place the bottle on its side in the freezer for 5 minutes. When solid, just squeeze to bottle to break up all of the solidified candy, and empty all of the candy into a plastic bag.
- You can make the chocolate tails ahead of the cupcakes, and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 329kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 3gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 331mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 771IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg
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