Mermaid Birthday Cake

April 2, 2021

Let me take you back in post-covid times: after two years of not being able to celebrate my daughter's birthday, I finally got go organise a party for her, her friends and their parents. She wanted a mermaid-themed birthday and I spent a lot of time preparing for it. And when I say a lot, I mean four months: from ordering mermaid-themed molds for sugary paste and watching YouTube tutorials to actually preparing the cake, which took me four days and resulted in nine months physiotherapy for my heels. Let me present the reason for that:

There are many mermaid-themed birthday cakes that you can find as inspiration on the Internet, but the only one that I fell in love with was a masterpiece by Peggy Porschen Bakery in London. I copied the design as close as possible, but the cake itself was made, following the recipes and guidance of Cupcake Jemma's YouTube channel. A complimentary detail was a recipe for meringue cookies by Manuela Kjeilen from Passion for baking.

Here is how you get ready and prepare that same cake, in case you also like challenges:

You need to buy mermaid tails and sea creatures silicone molds and prepare the decoration at least a few days in advance, so that the fondant hardens and holds its shape, once placed on the cake. If you don't already have the instruments and proper tips for icing the cake, get those as well. Also food colouring and sugar decoration in complimentary colours.
Bake and prepare the layers as shown here (Cupcake Jemma - "What's wrong with my sponge cake? on YouTube). Again, prepare in advance.
Learn how to make the buttercream in this buttercream masterclass by Cupcake Jemma. Then learn how to do the ombre effect on the cake by watching this video (Ombre Buttercream Cake Decoration by Cupcake Jemma).
Wear comfortable shoes, take your time and enjoy the process of preparing this beautiful cake for yourself or a loved one, as well as your newly acquired skills in baking!

I have since mastered a much easier way to do my layered cakes, so keep your eyes on the blog for more recipes to come! Or subscribe to the newsletter and hear from me directly in your inbox!