Move over Mermaid Cupcakes! Make a perfect ombre Mermaid Cake, gorgeous layers in purple and topped with custom sprinkles and even a tail! Learn how to make this seasons hottest cake, a mermaid cake, and be ready for your next magical dessert table. Scroll below for printable version and bonus instructions on how to make a mermaid tail topper.
Simply stunning, you can make an ombre cake fairly easily and in any color.
Before you get started, you will need to make sure you have more than one cake pan on hand so you can mix multiple colored layers.
The results are quite pretty and while this mermaid cake is done in purple, feel free to use a variety of pinks, teals, or even a combo of all three!
Wilton 2105-0112 Easy Layers! 5-Piece Cake Pan
Wilton 2105-5748 4 Piece Easy Layers SquareWilton 2105-5636 2 Piece Small & Tall
Ombre Cake
To get started on your multi-layered mermaid cake, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 box white or vanilla cake mix
- PLUS ingredients called for on box
- Food dyes of choice
(we used teal and purple) - 1 cup butter
- 3-4 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons cream
- Mermaid sprinkle mix
- Edible silver glitter
(we used teal and purple)
This is a custom sprinkle blend for this mermaid cake!
You can make your own by combining many kinds of sprinkles.
Here are some fun options I found on Amazon that would make a similar result:
Festival Jewel Tone Sprinkle Blends, 4.8 OunceWilton Lavender Sugar Sparkles, 3.25 Oz.Wilton Pink Pearlized Sprinkles Balls Nonpareils Cake
How to make a Mermaid Cake
Preheat oven to 325F
Prepare the cake batter according to package directions.
Divide the cake into 3 bowls, dye each in varying shades of purple, which will make your purple ombre layers.
Bake until the tops are set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
To make the frosting, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract.
Add the cream until you reach your desired consistency.
Portion out into 3 bowls. Leave one white, and then dye one light teal and one dark teal.
Layer the cakes darkest to lightest, placing about 1/4 to 1/2 cup frosting between each layer.
Using an offset spatula, spread about 1 cup of white frosting all over the cake for the crumb coat.
Let set at least 1 hour.
Spread white frosting around the center of the cake (about the middle layer) and then all over the top.
Take the dark teal and spread along the bottom of the cake, then the light around the top.
Use the offset spatula to smooth and slightly blend the colors together.
Then add dollops of each teal frosting to the top and smooth down.
Sprinkle and press the mermaid sprinkle mix over the top and then splash on a bit of silver edible glitter all over.
Add chocolate Mermaid fin if desired!
Mermaid cake in Purple Ombre Layers with Mermaid Fin
Mermaid Cake Recipe, How to make a perfect ombre mermaid cake, gorgeous layered in purple and topped with custom sprinkles and even a chocolate mermaid tail! Learn how to multi-layer your cake, best pans to use and custom mermaid sprinkles
- 1 box white or vanilla cake mix
- PLUS ingredients called for on box
- Food dyes of choice (we used teal and purple)
- 1 cup butter
- 3-4 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons cream
- Mermaid sprinkle mix
- Edible silver glitter
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Prepare the cake batter according to package directions.
- Divide the cake into 3 bowls, dye each in varying shades of purple.
- Bake until the tops are set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the frosting, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract.
- Add the cream until you reach your desired consistency.
- Portion out into 3 bowls. Leave one white, and then dye one light teal and one dark teal.
- Layer the cakes darkest to lightest, placing about 1/4 to 1/2 cup frosting between each layer.
- Using an offset spatula, spread about 1 cup of white frosting all over the cake for the crumb coat. Let set at least 1 hour.
- Spread white frosting around the center of the cake (about the middle layer) and then all over the top.
- Take the dark teal and spread along the bottom of the cake, then the light around the top.
- Use the offset spatula to smooth and slightly blend the colors together.
- Then add dollops of each teal frosting to the top and smooth down.
- Sprinkle and press the mermaid sprinkle mix over the top and then splash on a bit of silver edible glitter all over.
Mermaid Tail Cupcake Topper
Mujiang Mermaid Tail Silicone Jelly Sugar Chocolate2-16 cavity (32 Total)Gummy Mermaid Tail MoldSikves Silicone Candy Molds with 2 DropperElinka Cute Romantic Seashell Sea Shell Silicone
The day before making these cupcakes, start preparing the mermaid tails. They each need about 2-3 hours to set. Leave them on the counter to set, do not refrigerate. If you set them by the fridge, when you pull them out and pop them, they will sweat and melt. Just leave on counter until the candy re-hardens.
If you are making more than one tail, you will need additional molds to do more than one at a time.
Melt the candy melts one at a time – microwave for 35 seconds, stir, and reheat as needed.
Portion about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the melts into the mermaid silicone mold and let set at least 2 hours.
Store in Tupperware container on counter.
If you are throwing a mermaid birthday party, make sure you grab the recipes for my Clam Shell Cookies and Mermaid Bark before you go.
