How to Make Mermaid Tail Cupcakes

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Let's dive right into how to make mermaid tail cupcakes!  This mermaid tail design is super popular right now and pretty easy to make at home.

First, you'll need to get a mermaid tail silicone mold which you can find here.  You'll also need fondant or gumpaste, toothpicks, food coloring, a paint brush, and I used a little powdered sugar to make sure the fondant didn't stick to my mold.

Spoon a little powdered sugar into the mold then tap out of the excess.  Then press some fondant into the mold.

These mold are flexible, so turn the mold over to carefully remove the mermaid tail.  I like to use a toothpick to make sure none of the fondant sticks.

Once all of your mermaid tails are turned out, gently insert a toothpick about half way up into each tail.  Then allow to dry for about 8 hours or overnight to harden up.

Once the mermaid tails are firm and set, bust out your favorite food colors.  I used teal for the main body and gold for the fins.  I used a mixing palette to combine a drop of the food coloring with about 3 or 4 drops of vodka to create the "paint."  Then I used a clean food safe brush to apply the color.

Because of the alcohol, the color dries pretty quickly (about 5 minutes.)  It's such a small amount of alcohol and it evaporates, but if you're worried about the kiddos consuming the fondant, you can also use plain water - it just won't dry as fast.

Now, to get your cupcakes ready!  Bake and completely cool your cupcakes before decorating.  I made vanilla cupcakes and decided to include these wrappers that I made with my Cricut Explore One™.  You can this project in the Mermaid Party cartridge which is included in the Cricut Access Standard.

For the frosting, I used American buttercream, but you can use any light colored frosting you like.  I used the same teal food coloring to get my frosting this color.  I also used a star tip and piped in an up and down motion to get this look for the frosting.

Now to add the mermaid tail!  Simply stick the toothpick into the center of the cupcake.

I decided to also add my favorite custom sprinkles mix.  This is a combination of sanding sugars, non perils, and rock candy in a variety of sizes and colors.

Use a spoon to add the sprinkles around the mermaid tail.

And that's how to make mermaid tail cupcakes!

Just a heads up:  fondant does not do very well in the heat.   I highly suggest that these are made for an indoor party, or when it's not a super hot day outside.

Anyway, I love these cupcakes and they went perfectly with my mermaid tail cake.

Don't forget to check out the Under the Sea party banner made by my friend Anna, my lobster bruschetta recipe, and my DIY Mermaid Backdrop tutorial.  And come back for the full Under the Sea party I'll be posting this week.  Until then, mermaid kisses and best wishes!

Jordan

Hi, I’m Jordan – a work at home mom with 3 super fun little boys. I love entertaining guests and want to help you make entertaining easy!

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