There isn’t anything cuter than mermaid cupcakes to brighten your day. These treats are simple, fun to make, and perfect for parties or a special celebration.
When I planned my daughter’s mermaid-themed 7th birthday, I wanted everything to feel magical. It’s amazing how quickly kids grow up — one moment they’re tiny and the next they’re full of personality and sass. I still catch myself surprised that I’m the mom to such a sweet, energetic little girl.
These mermaid cupcakes were a huge hit at the party. I used shades of teal, purple, and pink frosting and topped many of the cupcakes with chocolate mermaid tails. The kids loved choosing which tail they wanted, and the cupcakes disappeared fast. I also made a coordinating cake topped with extra tails, Nilla wafer “sand,” and mermaid sprinkles for a cohesive dessert table.
The base of these cupcakes is a simple vanilla cupcake recipe. After baking and cooling, they get a thin layer of vanilla buttercream and are gently dipped into finely crushed Nilla wafers for a sandy edge. Any plain vanilla cookie will work if you prefer something else. The crushed cookies give a delightful texture and a beachy look that pairs perfectly with the mermaid theme.
For the frosting color I used a tiny drop of teal gel or paste food coloring. A concentrated teal works best so you only need a small amount to get a soft sea-green shade. That color keeps the frosting looking vibrant without becoming too dark.
Making the mermaid tails is the most time-consuming part, but not difficult. I used silicone molds to form the tails from colored white chocolate or candy melts. If you only have a couple of molds, expect to reheat and remold the chocolate several times; having extra molds speeds the process and reduces the hassle. After unmolding, I brushed a bit of edible glitter over the tails for shimmer and stored them chilled until ready to decorate.
I used colored candy melts for many of the tails because they’re easy to work with and available at most craft stores. If you prefer a richer, more authentic white chocolate flavor, real white chocolate (with cocoa butter) can be tinted, though it can be harder to find and temper. Another option is to leave the tails white and add colored shimmer dust for a refined look. I accented a few tails with gold dust for a touch of elegance.
Choosing sprinkles felt surprisingly important. I searched through many shops until I found a sprinkle mix that matched the party colors and had the right mix of shapes and finishes. The sprinkles I used were soft pinks and aquas that complemented the frosting and tied the whole theme together. Even without tails, the cupcakes look lovely—simple frosting, cookie “sand,” and a scattering of pretty sprinkles are all you need for a charming dessert.
Recipe Card
Mermaid Cupcakes
Amanda Powell
Pin Recipe
55 mins
20 mins
20 mins
1 hr 35 mins
cupcakes
American
12 cupcakes
561 kcal
Ingredients
For the Mermaid Tails
- 28 ounces colored white chocolate
- Edible glitter
- Mermaid tail molds
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) cake flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115 g) buttermilk, room temperature
For the Buttercream
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (437 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup finely crushed Nilla wafers
- 1 drop teal food coloring
- ¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the mermaid tails first. Melt the colored white chocolate or candy melts and use squeeze bottles or a small spoon to fill the molds for clean lines.
- Smooth the top of each mold and place them in the freezer for 3–4 minutes. Remove carefully by easing the chocolate away from the edges, starting at the thin parts and working around.
- Freeze unmolded tails as you work so they stay firm. Trim any rough edges, then brush on edible glitter. Store chilled until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 3 minutes total for both.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture in three parts and the buttermilk in two parts, mixing until just combined. Fold the last flour addition by hand to avoid overmixing.
- Fill liners about ¾ full with batter and bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- To make buttercream, beat butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between additions. Add salt, vanilla, and heavy cream until the frosting is smooth and slightly firm so it can support the tails.
- Place about 2 teaspoons of buttercream on each cupcake and smooth. Dip the frosted cupcake edges into the crushed Nilla wafers to create the sand effect.
- Add a single drop of teal food coloring to the remaining buttercream and beat until evenly tinted.
- Fit a piping bag with a star tip, fill with teal frosting, and pipe a swirl in the center of each cupcake, letting the wafer “sand” show around the edges.
- Scatter sprinkles over the frosting and top each cupcake with a mermaid tail, pressing gently so it stays in place.
Nutrition
cupcakes, mermaid, vanilla, white chocolate
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