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Take my favourite (and simplest) chocolate cake recipe, pair it with our printable Mermaid Tail Baking Template, some luscious vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream, and icing colours of your choice – and you’ve got the makings of a truly impressive mermaid-themed cake!
I made this one for my daughter’s birthday and it was a hit with everyone at her under-the-sea pool party. It was surprisingly easy to put together, and now I’m sharing my step-by-step tips so you can make your own. You can choose colours to match your party theme or go with the recipient’s favourites.
I use my one-bowl chocolate cake recipe for this. The DoughCuts Mermaid Tail Baking Template is quite long – 38 cm (15 in) – so I divided the batter between two large rectangular baking trays. You’ll need trays with sides, but they don’t have to be high (mine were only about 1.5 cm tall).
Tip: If your trays are shorter than 38 cm, simply trim the body end of the template to fit. No need to buy special tins – use what you already have.
Once baked, chill the cakes in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cutting out the mermaid tail shapes. Chilled cake is so much easier and neater to cut.
After chilling, cut out your shapes using the template. Keep one piece in the fridge to stay firm while you work. Place the other onto your serving platter or cake board.
Using a 13 mm round piping nozzle, pipe the first layer of buttercream in rows of colour – I used four different shades and repeated them along the cake.
After chilling, cut out your shapes using the template. Keep one piece in the fridge to stay firm while you work. Place the other onto your serving platter or cake board.
Using a 13 mm round piping nozzle, pipe the first layer of buttercream in rows of colour – I used four different shades and repeated them along the cake.
Carefully lift your second mermaid tail layer on top. Pipe a row of buttercream dollops (or dots) in your chosen colours, then gently press each one with an offset spatula to flatten into “scales”. Repeat row by row until the body is covered.
For the tail fin, I piped one solid colour and smoothed the top for a neat finish.
Once decorated, chill your cake in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Remove it about an hour before serving so the buttercream softens slightly for the perfect texture and flavour.
You can grab your own Printable Mermaid Tail Baking Template here and start creating your own mermaid-themed masterpiece. Please let me know if you make your own mermaid tail cake, I'd love to see pics of your creation.
Happy baking 💙
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