• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cake Journal

  • Cake Lounge
    • Easy Embossed Cookies Recipe
    • How to Make Heart-Shaped Cake with Buttercream Roses
  • Desserts
    • Best 3 Cookie Scoop Sizes and How to Use Them?
    • Babycakes Cake Pop Maker Review and Tutorial
  • Recipes
    • Traditional Castella Cake Recipe
    • Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting (Easy Recipe)
    • Best Frozen-Themed Cake Ideas with Images
  • Tips & tools
    • What to Do With Cake Scraps? (8 Easy Recipes)
    • Luster Dust: If You Don’t Know About It, You Need To!
    • How To Use Edible Glue and How to Make It
    • How to Use Russian Piping Tips and Tutorial
    • What Is Wafer Paper and How to Use It? (Video Tutorials)
  • Tutorials
    • How To Make Royal Icing (Easy Recipe)
    • How to Flood Cookies with Royal Icing?
    • How To Use Candy Molds Properly
    • How to Make Cake Pops: Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial
    • Fondant On Cookies: Easy Way To Decorate
  • About Us
  • Contact

How to Make Mermaid Tail Cupcake Toppers

by Renée 2 Comments

mermaid

It’s summer in my neck of the woods, and that means swimming, swimming, swimming! My kids swim almost every single day, whether it’s at our local lake, pools, day camp, or their grandparent’s house at the Jersey Shore. So I thought a fitting treat this month would be mermaid tail cupcake toppers. They will be a hit at any pool or beach party you attend!

mermaid1

This is what I used:

Work surface
Corn starch
Blue fondant
Rolling pin
X-acto knife
Wilton piping tip #12
Tooth picks
Silver or gold edible dust
Small brush
Parchment paper
Not pictured, gum paste

mermaid2

Step 1: Draw any shape mermaid tail that you like on a piece of parchment paper and cut it out. This will be your template. If you are not good at drawing, print one that you like and trace it through the parchment paper.

mermaid3

Step 2: Knead a small amount of white gumpaste into your blue fondant to make it dry faster and stronger. Roll out a thick piece of  fondant and lay the parchment paper template on it. It will not stick. Dip your X-acto knife in corn starch each time you make a cut around the template. This helps it glide nicely.

mermaid4

Step 3: Cut carefully all the way around your template. If any of the edges are rough, smooth them out with your fingers.

mermaid5

Step 4: Take the Wilton #12 tip or any similar round piping tip you have. Make scale impressions starting at the bottom of the tail and working your way up to the fin.

mermaid6

Step 5: You can see in this photo what the base of the tail looks like after you make the scale impressions with the round tip.

mermaid7

Step 6: Use a tooth pick to firmly trace lines into the fin of the tail as shown.

mermaid8

Step 7: Apply silver or gold edible dust with a small brush to make the tail shiny.

mermaid9

Step 8: Insert three toothpicks into the base of the tail. Insert them deeply for strong support. You can cut the bottoms to your desired length with a wire cutter or strong shears. If the scales get worn out during this process, go over them again with the round piping tip.

mermaid10

Step 9: Lay the toppers on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. I used dowels to shape the fins as they dried.

mermaid

Allow your mermaid tails to harden for at least three days in a cool, dry place. Insert them into home made or store bought cupcakes and enjoy!

Happy Caking!
Renée

Previous Post: « How to Make Bright Rainbow Cupcakes
Next Post: 25 Types Of Cake Filling Explained »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maris

    June 27, 2018 at 5:41 AM

    Just love these! Have just finished making them for a mermaid party for my girls which is in three days time. Thanks for the great instructions and pictures, it really was fun and easy to make! I did find it easier to insert the already cut toothpicks into the fondant form before decorating. And I found it easier to start with making stripes on the tails first and then to make the round impressions last. But it has worked out beautifully! Hope it dries before the weekend!

    Reply
  2. Lollie Espinosa

    August 4, 2017 at 11:42 PM

    Renee thats so beatiful

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search Recipes on Cake Journal:

About Us

Kristen is the author of Cake Journal and a graduate of the Professional Baking program at Renton Technical College. She has worked as a pastry chef at a top Seattle restaurant and loves sharing her passion for baking amazing cakes on this site.

Contact Me

Privacy Policy

As Seen On:

Follow Us on Pinterest

Follow Us on Facebook

Copyright © 2025 · Cake Journal