Mermaid Birthday Cake Recipe

Are you looking for a very unique cake recipe to make this year? Check out this cool looking Mermaid Birthday Cake Recipe.

Mermaids are magical, mysterious beings. They are also extremely fun to bake for on their birthday. This cake is no joke. I mean, how can you even top an underwater mermaid cake? Make one and find out!

This is a brilliant cake to make if you are having a little girl (or a young-at-heart woman), who dreams of being a mermaid for her birthday.

Birthdays and cake go together ... like peas and carrots, comedy and tragedy and all the other ridiculous metaphors that hold no logical significance in this sentence ... or my life. But the truth is, there are few things better than birthdays and cake, just as there are few things more challenging than mermaid birthday cake.

I think everyone goes through a mermaid phase in their childhood. If your child orders a mermaid cake on his birthday, then you are in the right place. This is a super easy way to make an adorable kids birthday cake for a mermaid party!

Why does this recipe work?

⭐It's really easy and you don't need any fancy equipment

⭐No fondant required, this cake is all about buttercream, food coloring, and candy decorations

⭐Lots of wow factor for birthday party without much effort

Ingredients you will need

For this cake you will need chocolate cake mix, you can either make your own or use store-bought packet mixes (no judgment here at all). Buttercream ingredients (butter, icing sugar, milk, food coloring) and candy/sweets to bring your mermaid cake to life!

How to make a mermaid cake

make the cake

✔I used a mixing bowl instead of a cake pan to make the cake as I wanted a round dome shape. You can use round cake tins. (Mixing bowl dimensions: 22cm diameter at widest point, approx 12cm deep (photo 1)

✔Place the mixing bowl: Fold a piece of baking paper over and over to form a long triangle. Grasp the point of the triangle in the middle of the bowl, measure the edge of the darker triangle and cut the triangle to that length. (Picture 2)

✔Open the triangle, it will now be an approximate circle. Cut one of the lines to the center point (Picture 3)

✔You should now be able to push the baking paper down into the bowl, you can use the creases to fold the baking paper to fit (pic 4)

✔Make the Chocolate Cake Mixture: I used 2x Countdown 450g Chocolate Cake Baking Mix to make the batter (Picture 5) If you'd rather not use cake mix for the cake, my regular brownie recipe will work brilliantly.

✔Pour into a lined bowl or cake pan (photo 6)

✔Bake according to cake batter instructions. If you are using a large mixing bowl like I did, the cooking time may be longer than in a regular cake tin.

✔cool completely

Prepare mermaid toppings and cake layers

✔Remove the legs from the doll (Pictures 1 and 2) This will become the top of the mermaid cake

✔I used a cake leveler to flatten the cake first and then divided it into 4 layers. You can also use a bread knife. If you are using a bread knife, it may be easier to slice the cake if it is refrigerated and/or frozen. It would also be a good idea to make fewer layers. It's up to you

✔Keep any parts of the cake that end up when you level the cake, as you will use these cake crumbs to form the tail

✔Prepare the buttercream (see recipe card).

✔Take half of the uncolored buttercream mixture in sprinkles to make it buttercream pie. (You can use as few or as few sprinkles as you like) (Picture 3)

✔Use funfetti butter to stick some cake layers (Picture 4)

✔Crumb Layer: Take another quarter of the uncolored buttercream and spread a thin layer on the cake.

This is the crumb coat, which will make it easier to freeze the cake later when you apply the colored buttercream. (Picture 5)

✔If you have any leftover buttercream, save it so you can use it later to form a mermaid's tail

✔Use a small knife or spoon to cut a slit from the top of the cake that matches the base of the doll. (Picture 6)

✔Put the cake in the fridge until the consistency of crumbs. I often do this overnight, but an hour or so will work too.

Prepare mermaid toppings and cake layers

Freeze and decorate the cake

✔Buttercream color: You should have half of the remaining butter. Use a bit of blue food coloring to color the icing a pale blue.
✔Remove ½ of the light blue buttercream and place it on the top half of the cake, this can be done roughly with a knife or using a piping bag (Picture 1)
✔Add more blue food coloring to the rest of the buttercream to get a darker blue color
✔Put the dark blue buttercream on the bottom half of the cake that you can also use. Knife, spoon or piping bag. (Picture 1)
✔Dip a bread knife and butter (or metal cake spoon) into hot water, shake it to remove excess water, use hot knife to soften buttercream, you will get an ombré effect (Picture 2)
✔If you have any leftover buttercream, save it so you can use it later to form a mermaid's tail
✔Put the lollipops in a plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to break up the lollipops. I smashed about 12 lollipops, but I probably only needed half that. (Picture 3)
✔Press the broken lollipop around the bottom of the cake, it is supposed to look like colored coral and seaweed (Picture 4)

mermaid creation

✔Take the pieces you saved when leveling the cake, and break them up with your fingers until you end up with cake crumbs. (Picture 1)
✔Mix the cake crumbs with a little of the remaining butter (photo 2).
✔The buttercream mixture should be easy to work with, use your hands to shape the shape of a mermaid's tail. (Picture 3)
✔Place the tail on top of the cake in front of the well you created for the top of the mermaid cake. (Picture 4)
✔Frost the tail with a thin layer of buttercream, just enough to hold the candy decorations in place (you can use any color)
✔Arrange smarties or m&ms to look like scales and completely cover the tail. I used pink and purple smarts but you can use any color combination you want (Picture 5)
✔Take 2 jubes and put them at the end of the tail to look like flippers, you can also use mint leaves for this (photo 6)
✔Place the doll in the well, you may need to fill any gaps with a little butter and candy. (Picture 7)
✔Your cake is now complete! (Picture 8)

Recipe FAQs and Tips

Can I make this cake gluten-free?
You can use any cake mix you'd like to make a mermaid cake, as a gluten-free cake would work just fine. The buttercream and pudding used to decorate the cake are usually gluten-free
Can I make this mermaid cake in advance?
Yes, the stages of this cake can be completed in advance to relieve stress on the day of the celebration. The cake itself can be baked and frozen up to 3 months before the party. Cake can be frozen up to 3 days before the party (must be stored in the fridge) cake decoration is best if not added until the day of the party)

★ Cake levelers are inexpensive and multi layer cakes can be made easily
Square sponge cake on a wooden cutting board with a leveling scale
This is a cake leveler, it is easy to use
★ You can make your own butter up to 3 days in advance. Make it, then store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. When you want to use it again, bring it back to room temperature and beat again briefly. If it's a little too stiff, you can add a little extra milk to thin it out to a workable consistency.

Ingredients

900 gm chocolate cake mix
500 grams butter
6 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
8 tablespoons of milk
blue food coloring
6 colorful lollipops
2 x Gopi lollipops
Smarties or m & ms
1 x Barbie doll or similar

directions

make the cake

I used a mixing bowl instead of a cake pan to make the cake as I wanted a round dome shape. You can use round muffin tins, and stack two muffins on top of each other.
Place the mixing bowl: Fold a piece of baking paper over and over to form a long triangle. Grasp the point of the triangle in the middle of the bowl, measure the edge of the darker triangle and cut the triangle to that length.
Open the triangle, it will now be an approximate circle. Cut one of the lines to the center point
You should now be able to push the baking paper down into the bowl, you can use the creases to fold the baking paper to fit
Preparing the Chocolate Cake Mixture: I used 2x Countdown 450g Chocolate Cake Baking Mix to make my batter
Pour into bowl or cake moulds
Bake according to cake batter instructions. If you are using a large mixing bowl like I did, the cooking time may be longer than in a regular cake tin.

Make buttercream

Start with softened butter (not melted, but soft). Use an electric beater or a cake mixer to beat the butter until it is as white as possible.
Then we add from powdered sugar and whisk, add from milk, then add powdered sugar and milk alternately until they are all added, adding vanilla flavor to the icing.
Buttercream will be used throughout the recipe

Prepare a mermaid doll

Remove the legs from the doll, this will become the top of the mermaid cake

Cake level and layer

Use the cake leveler to flatten the cake first, then divide the cake into 4 layers. You can also use a bread knife. If you are using a bread knife, it may be easier to slice the cake if it is refrigerated and/or frozen. It would also be a good idea to make fewer layers. It's up to you
Save any pieces of cake that end up when you flatten the cake, as you will use these cake crumbs to form the tail
Take half of the uncolored buttercream mixture in sprinkles to make it buttercream pie. (You can use as many or as few sprinkles as you like)
Use funfetti buttercream to fill cake layers
Crumb Layer: Take another quarter of the uncolored buttercream and spread a thin layer on the cake. This is the crumb coat, which will make it easier to freeze the cake later when you apply the colored buttercream. A crumb coat doesn't have to be perfect
If you have any leftover buttercream, save it so you can use it later to form a mermaid's tail
Use a small knife or spoon to cut a slit from the top of the cake that matches the base of the doll. (Picture 6)
Put the cake in the fridge until the consistency of crumbs. I often do this overnight, but an hour or so will work too.

Cake frozen

Buttercream coloring: You should have the remaining buttercream. Use a bit of blue food coloring to color the icing a pale blue.
Remove half of the light blue buttercream and place it on the top half of the cake, it's almost done
Add more blue food coloring to the rest of the buttercream to get a darker blue color
Put the dark blue buttercream on the bottom half of the cake
Dip a bread knife and butter (or metal cake spoon) into hot water, and shake it to remove the excess water, use the hot knife to soften the butter cream, you will eventually get an ombré effect
If you have any leftover buttercream, save it so you can use it later to form a mermaid's tail
Put the lollipops in a plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to break up the lollipops. I smashed about 12 lollipops, but I probably only needed half that.
With your fingers, press the broken lollipops around the bottom of the cake, it should look like colorful coral and seaweed

mermaid creation

Take the pieces you saved when leveling the cake, and break them up with your fingers until you end up with cake crumbs.
Mix the cake crumbs with the remaining butter
The buttercream mixture should be easy to work with, use your hands to shape the shape of a mermaid's tail.
Place the tail on top of the cake in front of the well you created for the top of the mermaid cake.
Frost the tail with a thin layer of buttercream, just enough to hold the candy decorations in place (you can use any color)
Arrange smarties or m&ms to look like scales and completely cover the tail. I used pink and purple smarts but you can use any color combination you want
Take two sapphires and put them at the end of the tail to look like fins, you can also use mint leaves for this.
Place the doll in the well, you may need to fill any gaps with a little butter and candy.
The mermaid cake is now complete!

Notes

Dimensions of the mixing bowl I used as a cake tin: 22cm in diameter at its widest point, approx. depth 12 cm
You can use any cake mix recipe for this cake, it doesn't have to be chocolate. I used 2 x Countdown Chocolate Cake Mix
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