This mermaid cake is one of my very favorite designs to do. The process is fun, and the result is show stopping!!

watch this video for full instructions:

make the tail

you’ll need:

• modeling chocolate
• paring knife
• sugar shapers
• dresden tool
• small circle cutter
• lustre dust in your choice of colors
• soft-bristled brush
• gold lustre dust and everclear

Roll a ball of modeling chocolate (recipe here) into a fat teardrop, flatten the thicker end and make a cut to divide it into two. Rough out the shape of the fins, and smooth.

Draw lines in the fin with a dresden tool, smoothing the ridges and accentuating them as much as you like. Mark scales on the base with a small circle cutter.

Add petal dust with a soft brush. Paint the base with gold lustre dust mixed with everclear.

cover the cake in scales

you’ll need:

• fondant
• gel colors
• small circle cutter (I use the smallest from this Ateco set)

Color your fondant to make light-medium-dark in purple and turquoise, six variations in total. Cut circles from each color. I do more of the lightest blue, since the darker colors stand out more.

For the first row, cut several circles from each color in half, and lay them along the bottom, cut side down.

Working upwards in rows, apply the circles, overlapping the row below as shown. If the cake has come from the fridge, condensation will be enough for things to stick. If not, moisten the cake with a bit of water, corn syrup or piping gel.

Airbrush with pearlescent sheen, or you can use this spray. I used cake crumb sand here (I’ll get a post on that up soon), but graham cracker crumbs work too- just coat the board with piping gel to stick them. Place the tail in front using melted candy melts. Or, you can insert a lollipop stick into the tail and use that to place it on top of the cake.

There you have it! Sit back and admire the result 🤗

Happy baking!!