Mermaid Sitting on a Rock Cake

A friend of ours is returning to the U.S. after attending university and working part time in Heidelberg.  Her colleagues wanted to through a going-away party and the guest of honor is nuts for all things Mermaid.  Ok. That’s a good jumping off point.

After taking a look around the internet regarding mermaids and cake, I had a basic understanding of what I wanted to make and an idea of how I wanted the end-product to be.

I wanted a strong base.  Our friend really loves lemon cake and raspberries, so the lemon cake is an ideal structure for supporting the mermaid and land components.  I baked a 12″ round and used the baking core for even distribution of heat.  It worked beautifully and I was happy with the results.

The land was formed from a 6″ round and the top half of the Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan.  I baked the cakes on Thursday and put them in the cake fridge overnight.  When I woke up this morning, I realized I didn’t want to pop the mermaid in on top of the land; instead I carved out a small base on the side of the land.  This way, we avoid the doll/dress/cake look.



I added two dowels to the land formation as an added measure of securing all pieces in place.

Since this cake didn’t come with instructions, I was constantly figuring out the best order of operations for putting this cake together.  Just before taking one step, I had to think ahead a couple more procedures.  It was a big puzzle.  And I really really love puzzles.



The right tools make a difference;  had to use both sizes of off-set icing spatulas.



I’m thinking these swirls look like waves.  And, I added multiple colors of blue for a water effect.



Again, I added supports for the additional weight.

I’m happy with the results.  It still has an amateur look.  But that’s ok.  It’s who I am.  I’m a home baker who finds joy in cupcake and cake decorating.  Almost everything is better with a little buttercream.



Yes, this was the first time I piped a swimsuit top onto a doll with taped up hair.  That’s how we roll in the Test Kitchen.



I traced an outline of where I wanted the fin to rest.



“Now I need to lift her arm in order to get the scales on the right way.”



“…and time for some rocks.”