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Easy Mermaid Cupcakes You Need To Make

These mermaid cupcakes are sure to brighten your day! With vibrant frosting, surprise sprinkles stuffed inside, and the delicious mermaid bark on top. These easy mermaid cupcakes are perfect for your child’s mermaid birthday party, or a Summer time pool party too!

mermaid cupcakes

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The mermaid craze is sweeping the nation, and has stolen the hearts of our kids! My daughter Willow is next level obsessed with mermaids. Like legit wants ALL the mermaid things! Anyone else?

So, when it came time for her birthday she just had to have a mermaid themed party! And, keeping it real. I’m not mad about it. I mean mermaids are clearly where it’s at. They are fantastical, magical, and have the most vibrant colors!

Obviously, we could not have a proper birthday party without dessert. So, I got all up in the kitchen, and started creating. And, I have to say these mermaid cupcakes are just about the cutest thing I have ever seen!

And, because we all know you simply do not have hours upon hours to create a birthday dessert. These, cupcakes are super easy to make!

You will love that these cupcakes are made with your favorite cake mix, a simple but delicious frosting, and decorating is a breeze! And, the kids will love them too! Because they are so pretty, and they have a special sprinkle surprise hiding in the middle!

Mermaid Cupcakes

I have to tell you that these mermaid cupcakes were a huge hit at Willow’s birthday party. The kids could not get enough of them, and about lost their minds overt the sprinkles hiding in the middle.

And, keeping it real. The adults loved them too! Some of the adults thought that the cupcakes were from a bakery. Blushes in the corner.

Well, if people are thinking that these cupcakes are professionally made, then I just have to share the recipe with YOU! Because, y’all they are SO easy to make! I mean like crazy easy to make.

We are talking your favorite box cake mix with an added punch of vanilla. A super simple and creamy vanilla frosting. And a crazy easy decorating process that looks gorgeous.

No one needs to know that you whipped these beautiful cupcakes up in no time flat. Get ready to take in a lot of compliments on your epic decorating skills. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? 😉

mermaid cupcakes ingredients

Mermaid Cupcake Ingredients

One of the great things about this mermaid cupcake recipe is that you can use box cake mix. This is a mega time saver, and allows for less clean up too. But, you will be adding a ‘secret’ ingredient to the box mix that will set these cupcakes apart from the rest!

That ingredient is vanilla bean paste. I could go on and on about my love for vanilla bean paste. It is a one two punch of vanilla that truly adds that homemade taste to your cupcake. You can literally see the vanilla bean flecks in it. So, you know this stuff is legit.

The vanilla buttercream used for the cupcakes is another incredibly easy recipe too. Because we like to keep things flexible, you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer to make the frosting as well.

These cupcakes are topped with this super easy Mermaid Bark. Y’all we are talking make this in minutes kind of easiness. And, it turns out gorgeous. This is what sets the mermaid cupcakes apart from the rest!

Mermaid Cupcake Supplies

You will need a couple of supplies to make the mermaid cupcakes.

In order to have the 3 colors of frosting blended through the cupcakes I used the Wilton 3 Color Piping Bag Coupler. This thing is seriously amazing because it comes with two tips, and 6 piping bags! If you feel like you need more piping bags, because it never hurts to have extra. You can grab more piping bags HERE.

I also used this food coloring for the green, teal, and purple frosting. And, I love these cupcake liners for the cupcakes too! They are so vibrant, and the perfect compliment to these beautiful cupcakes.

How To Make Mermaid Frosting

This frosting recipe is ridiculously easy to make! In my opinion, if you can make frosting…then make frosting. Now, I am all about some shortcuts. However, I strongly feel that homemade frosting is one of the best things ever.

With that said, it needs to be easy! You simply do not have time for a bajillion steps or ingredients.

That is what makes this vanilla buttercream so amazing. It has very few ingredients, and can be made in under 5 minutes. And, it tastes like vanilla ice cream! It is creamy vanilla heaven in your mouth!

Once you make the frosting you will simply divide it into 3 separate bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl, and you are good to go!

How To Make Mermaid Cupcakes

Let’s get to decorating the mermaid cupcakes! This process is so easy, and it looks like a million bucks!

mermaid cupcakes with center cut out

First, you will take your round decorating tip or star tip, and gently press down in the center of the cupcake. Do not push all the way through the cupcake. This creates the hiding spot for the surprise candyfetti sprinkles.

mermaid cupcakes with sprinkles in center
Remove the center of the cupcake as gently as possible, and place to the side for later. Add the candyfetti sprinkles to the middle of the cupcake.

mermaid cupcakes with top put back on middle

Place the cupcake filling that you previously removed on top of the center. If it did not hold completely together it is not that big of a deal. You basically just want to add some cake on top for when it comes time to add the frosting.

Now, you will simply take your assembled Wilton 3 Color Piping Bag Coupler with the included star tip. Start adding frosting in the center of the cupcake, and then work your way around in a circle.

Next, you will add the Mermaid Bark. Simply press a piece into the frosting in the center of the cupcake.

Looking for another perfect Mermaid Birthday Party or Pool Party treat? Check out this easy Mermaid Lemonade!

mermaid cupcakes

Now you are done! Mermaid cupcakes complete! Aren’t they so pretty? And, so easy to make too!

mermaid cupcakes with filling in middle showing

This is what the surprise inside sprinkles look like in the middle. I am telling you. The kids at the party went crazy over this little surprise!

Wrapping Up

Now, aren’t you super pumped to get started on these mermaid cupcakes? You now know exactly how to make them, and get to relish in the fact that they look like a million bucks but are super easy to make!

So, tell me are you or your kids mermaid fans?

 

 

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how to make mermaid cupcakes

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mermaid cupcakes

Mermaid Cupcakes


  • Author: Amanda | Jasper and Willow
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16 cupcakes 1x

Description

These mermaid cupcakes are sure to brighten your day! With vibrant frosting, surprise sprinkles stuffed inside, and the delicious mermaid bark on top. These easy mermaid cupcakes are perfect for your child’s mermaid birthday party, or a Summer time pool party too!


Ingredients

Scale

Mermaid Cupcakes:

  • favorite yellow cake box mix
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Mermaid Cupcake Filling:

  • candyfetti sprinkles

Mermaid Cupcake Frosting:

  • 4 sticks unsalted butter
  • 6 c confectioners sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 4 tbsp whole milk
  • purple, blue, green food color or icing color

Mermaid Cupcakes Topper:


Instructions

Mermaid Cupcakes:

  1. Mix cake mix according to directions, and add 1 tbsp of vanilla bean paste to the mix.
  2. Bake cake mix according to cupcake baking directions.
  3. Allow cupcakes to cool on wire rack.
  4. Add 4 sticks of unsalted butter and 1 cup of sifted confectioners sugar to stand mixer.
  5. Beat on low to medium low until ingredients are blended well.
  6. Slowly add in 2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar to mixer while beater is on low. (About 1 cup at a time)
  7. Add in 2 tbsp of vanilla bean paste to frosting, and mix well.
  8. Slowly add in 4 tbsp of whole milk to frosting, and mix well.
  9. Add in the remaining 3 cups of sifted confectioners sugar slowly to the mixer, and mix well. (About 1 cup at a time)
  10. Separate frosting into 3 bowls.
  11. Add food coloring to frosting in each bowl. Making one bowl of frosting green, the other purple, and the last one teal.
  12. Add frosting to piping bags, and 3 color coupler.

Decorating Mermaid Cupcakes:

  1. Using decorating tip 1A (circle) press down on center of cupcake, and remove middle. Do not push all the way through the cupcake. 
  2. Remove middle of cupcake as gently as possible.
  3. Add candyfetti sprinkles to center.
  4. Place middle of cupcake top back on cupcake.
  5. Using 3 color coupler with star tip 1M pipe the frosting on the cupcakes in small spurts. Simply press the bag and allow a little bit of frosting out and stop pressing the bag.
  6. Start piping frosting in the center of the cupcake, and work your way around the cupcake in a circle.
  7. Vertically press mermaid bark into frosting in the center of the cupcake.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 16 cupcakes
  • Calories: 300
  • Sugar: 17g
  • Fat: 9g
  • Carbohydrates: 28g
  • Protein: 3g

Keywords: mermaid cupcakes, mermaid birthday party, easy mermaid cupcakes, mermaid party, mermaid party food

 

 

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