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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    Mermaid Cupcakes

    Published: Oct 5, 2022 · Modified: Jul 10, 2025 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. 2 Comments

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    These mermaid tail cupcakes feature tender white cake topped with aqua buttercream frosting and a plastic mermaid tail. It looks like a mermaid diving underwater!

    Closeup shot of mermaid tail cupcake on plate with more cupcakes in background.

    I love making cupcakes. They're delicious, and they're so pretty. I'm an especially big fan of these delicious mermaid cupcakes decorated to look like a mermaid diving underwater. The colors pop and the flavor is fantastic.

    Themed cupcakes are just so much fun! These are perfect for a summer ocean themed party, mermaid birthday party or just for a fun and tasty activity to do with kids.

    Whether you're making Christmas cupcakes or monster cupcakes for Halloween, when you serve up a plate of cupcakes decorated for the occasion, everyone is always excited. They really do make your heart as happy as your tastebuds.

    Adorably Delicious Mermaid Cupcakes

    Cupcakes are just tiny cakes, as their name implies, which means you can get just as creative with them as you would a full-size cake. And that's just what I love to do. The more creative the better, if you ask me, and this recipe reflects that.

    If you're already in love with this cupcake recipe, then you'll want to check out these dulce de leche cupcakes, sunflower cupcakes, chocolate mint cupcakes, or our Reese’s Cupcakes.

    Why You Will Love this Recipe

    • They're adorably decorated with a mermaid tail sticking up out of aqua buttercream frosting.
    • They're extremely easy to make, even though they're fully from scratch.
    • Everyone will love their classic flavor and fun decoration.

    Top Tip:

    It's imperative that you fully soften your butter when making the buttercream frosting so you don't end up with raw chunks of butter in your frosting.

    Ingredients

    Overhead photo of all the ingredients needed to make Mermaid Cupcakes.

    This recipe only uses simple ingredients. Outside of the sprinkles and plastic mermaid tails, you might already have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now.

    • Basic batter ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, eggs, milk, and vegetable oil make the cupcake batter.
    • Basic icing ingredients: Butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and aqua gel food coloring gel.

    The full ingredient list with quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

    How to Make Mermaid Cupcakes

    Let's take a look at the main steps for these easy cupcakes. It doesn't take much to make them. You'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card.

    Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt inside a large mixing bowl.
    Milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs inside a separate large bowl.
    1. Combine the dry cupcake ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.
    Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients.
    Cupcake batter mixed inside a large mixing bowl.

    2. Then, mix them together until smooth using a hand mixer, whisk or wooden spoon..

    Cupcake batter poured into the cupcake liners inside the cupcake pan.
    Overhead photo of the baked cupcakes inside a cupcake tin.

    3. Fill cupcake liners until ⅔ full and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

    Butter, powdered sugar and vanilla inside a medium mixing bowl.
    Cupcake frosting beat inside the medium mixing bowl.

    3. To make the frosting, cream butter and powdered sugar together. Then, add milk and vanilla. Finally, add the food coloring gel.

    Cupcakes topped with the colored frosting and sprinkles.
    Closeup photo of the mermaid cupcakes inside the cupcake tin.

    4. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes, add a mermaid tail to each cupcake, and sprinkle with mermaid sprinkle mix.

    Closeup photo of a Mermaid Cupcake held up by hand. The Mermaid Cupcake is cut in half.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Your favorite cake: Use your favorite storebought cake mix flavor for these mermaid tail cupcakes instead of homemade to save time.
    • Any color frosting: You can use any color frosting you like for these cupcakes. We've used pink frosting too. Just consider leaving off the mermaid tails and just adding sprinkles. The choice is always yours.
    • Storebought: Buy storebought frosting and add food coloring gel to save time.
    • Any holiday: Change the frosting color and decorations to match any holiday.

    If you love anything with buttercream, then check out these Andes Mint cupcakes.

    What to Serve with Cupcakes

    Cupcakes are delicious on their own with some milk or coffee. They also make a great addition to any potluck dessert table.

    Would you like to find more wonderful cupcake recipes? To find more, check out our Summer Cupcake Recipes.

    Equipment

    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Mixing bowls
    • Cupcake tin
    • Cupcake liners
    • Piping bag and tip

    Storage

    On the counter: Store these cupcakes in a covered container for a couple of days at room temperature.

    In the refrigerator: Store these cupcakes in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.

    In the freezer: You can store these cupcakes for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.

    Tips

    • Be sure your butter is fully softened when making your frosting. Otherwise, you'll end up with bits of raw butter and a lumpy frosting.
    • Always mix wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them.
    • Spray your liners with nonstick spray if you want to be extra sure nothing sticks.

    FAQ

    Who invented cupakes?

    Amelia Simmons published the first recipe for cupcakes in her book "American Cookery" in 1796.

    Is cupcake and cake the same thing?

    Yes. The only difference is the pan in which they're prepared. That's why they're called cupcakes. They're cakes in tiny cups.

    Why doesn't buttercream have to be refrigerated immediately?

    The large amount of sugar stabilizes the very small amount of butter and milk used to make the frosting, making it good at room temperature for a couple of days.

    Can you make these cupcakes ahead of time?

    These cupcakes can be made the night before and kept in the refrigerator.

    More Cupcake Recipes You'll Love

    • Chocolate Snowman Cupcakes
    • Homemade Chocolate Reindeer Cupcakes
    • Ice cream cone cupcakes on counter.
      How to Make Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
    • Rainbow cupcakes on a counter.
      Rainbow Cupcakes

    Mermaid Cupcakes

    Karin and Ken
    These mermaid tail cupcakes are as cute as they are delicious. Tender white cake and buttercream frosting come together for a delicious treat.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Additional Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24
    Calories 248 kcal

    Equipment

    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Mixing Bowls
    • muffin pan 12 holes
    • Raibow Cupcake liners or white cupcake liners
    • Piping bag and tip

    Ingredients
      

    Cupcake Ingredients

    • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • 2 cups sugar -
    • 3 teaspoon baking powder -
    • 1 teaspoon salt -
    • 1 cup milk
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract -
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup water

    Frosting Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract -
    • 2-3 tablespoon milk
    • Aqua blue food coloring gel

    Decorations

    • Mermaid sprinkles
    • Plastic mermaid tails
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare cupcake pans by lining them with cupcake liners. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
    • In another large bowl, beat milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs together.
    • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Beat again until smooth.
    • Add water and beat again.
    • Transfer batter to prepared cupcake pans, filing each liner ⅔ full.
    • Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
    • To prepare frosting, in a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar together. 
 Add 2 tablespoons of milk and vanilla. Beat well.
    • If it is too thick, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
    • Next, add food coloring gel until desired color is reached. This will vary depending on the type of food gel you are using.
    • Transfer frosting to a large ziplock bag and cut a small corner off.
    • Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, adding sprinkles before the frosting hardens.
    • Carefully place a mermaid tale on top of each cupcake.

    Notes

    • Be sure your butter is fully softened when making your frosting. Otherwise, you'll end up with bits of raw butter and a lumpy frosting.
    • Press mermaid tail into the cupcake at least a ½ inch to be sure it stays in place.
    • Always mix wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them.
    • Spray your liners with nonstick spray if you want to be extra sure nothing sticks.
    • For best results refrigerate decorated cupcakes for at least an hour or two before serving allowing frosting to set and harden a little so everything stays in place.
    • Use a storebought cake mix of your favorite flavor to save time.
    • Buy storebought frosting, add food coloring and mix until blended to save time. Simply add that frosting to your piping bag.
    Our Summer Cupcake Recipes are sure to be a hit!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 167mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 49IUCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword mermaid cupcakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Comments

    1. Samantha says

      November 09, 2022 at 7:37 am

      5 stars
      These cupcakes were a big hit at my daughters birthday party as you can imagine all of them kept their tail lol I have to say I loved the taste and texture of these cupcakes and will use this recipe going forward with your icing. What a pleasant surprise Thank you for sharing

      Reply
      • Karin and Ken says

        November 09, 2022 at 12:03 pm

        I love the basic cupcake recipe too. Glad they worked out and we’re enjoyed by all. Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! All the best. Karin

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    Welcome!

    We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life, Ken.

    We have been attached at the heart and hip since the first day we met, and we love to create new dishes to keep things interesting. Variety is definitely the spice of life!

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