If you’re looking to delight your guests with a stunning dessert, Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes are a must-try! With their vibrant colors, lemony flavor, and easy-to-follow decorating technique, these mini cakes will elevate any occasion and make you feel like a professional baker.
Inspired by Spring’s Favorite Pink Lemonade Cake
Inspired by the flavor of a seasonal spring pink lemonade cake from a local bakery, these Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes bring a burst of citrus to your dessert table. The secret ingredient, a packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid pink lemonade, not only enhances the flavor but also gives the cake its pretty pink interior color. Each slice is a vibrant celebration of spring, making these mini cakes both visually appealing and delicious.
Preparing the Cake
To start, bake a 15 x 11-inch sheet cake, which will serve as the base for the mini cakes. Once the cake is cooled, you’ll cut out the mini cakes using a 3-inch cookie cutter.
Then make the frosting and divide it into six separate bowls. Keep one bowl of white frosting aside for the white scales, and then color the remaining five bowls according to your design preferences. I used light blue, light teal, darker teal, lime green, and pink. Instructions for making these colors are included in the recipe.
Decorating Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes
Now comes the exciting part—decorating the cakes! First, add a layer to a mini cake stand or your chosen cake plate. Then add a layer of lemon curd to the top of the cake, and then stack another layer on top. The curd will add both flavor and moisture.
Once stacked, fill separate piping bags with each prepared frosting color. Cut off the tips of the bags to get started. There is no need to use a piping tip for this design; however, you can use medium- or large-round piping tips if you prefer.
To start frosting, place a large dot of frosting (any color) at the bottom of the cake. The larger the dot, the larger the scales will be.
Using a spoon, gently press the dot with the tip to shape it, then pull the frosting upwards. Be meticulous in wiping any excess frosting from the spoon before you add another dot in a different color. This will prevent colors from mixing and ensure a clean design.
Building the Scale Pattern for Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes
Continue this technique around the entire cake, alternating colors to create a stunning “mermaid scales” pattern. Once the first layer is complete, move to the second row. Position the next layer of frosting dots so that they overlap the first row for a fuller look. Repeat your color rotation as you move upwards.
Continue alternating colors and adding scales until the cake is fully decorated. Then repeat the process for the other cakes.
I used colors that matched my mermaid table setting; however, don’t hesitate to create a color scheme that matches your table setting or theme. Feel free to experiment!
When planning your own colors, remember to use a very light color and a dark one for contrast. Also, it is eye-catching to use an unexpected color with your color scheme, such as the pink that I used with all the shades of blue and green.
Adding Finishing Touches to the Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes
When your cakes are fully decorated, crown them with color-coordinated sprinkles at the center. This final touch not only enhances the visual appeal but also elegantly conceals any imperfect stopping points in your frosting work.
Tips for Success
For the best results, ensure that your cakes are level before you begin decorating. If your cakes are domed, slice off the tops to level them before starting your design.
These mini cakes are sure to be a hit at your celebration—enjoy the process, and let your creativity shine!
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Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes
Equipment
- 15 x 11 x 2-inch sheet cake pan
- 1 long parchment paper sheet that extends outside the pan (use for handles to remove cooked cake from pan)
- fine mesh strainer (sieve) for sifting flour
- (1) 3-inch round cookie cutter
- 6 piping bags
Ingredients
Cake
- zest from 2 lemons
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 boxes White Cake Mix (Duncan Hines used)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- (1) .23-ounce packet Pink Lemonade Kool-Aid, without sugar
- vegetable shortening (for coating the pans)
- extra flour (for coating the pans)
Miscellaneous
- 1 jar lemon curd (Stonewall Kitchen brand used)
Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 large lemon, zested
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- green food coloring gel
- yellow food coloring gel
- blue food coloring gel
- pink food coloring gel
- sprinkles in coordinating colors
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare the cake pan by coating it with shortening and then dusting it with flour. Then place a long sheet of parchment paper in the pan, letting it extend 4 to 5 inches over each side.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, whole eggs, egg whites, and vegetable oil. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together both cake mixes, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, and Kool-Aid until thoroughly mixed. Stir dry ingredients into the liquid mixture until combined and smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with cooked crumbs. If not fully cooked, bake for additional 5-minute increments, checking after every 5 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
- Cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then, using the parchment paper handles, lift the cake out of the pan and cool on a wire rack.
- When cool, if necessary, level the domed cake with a knife by shaving off the peaks.
- When the cake has fully cooled, use the parchment handles to transfer it to a flat surface. Use the cookie cutter to cut 12 circles out of the cake. On 6 of the cakes, spread a layer of lemon curd. Place the other 6 layers on top of the lemon curd layers to make 6 mini layer cakes. Place the cakes on individual cake stands or small plates now, as they will be hard to move once decorated.
Buttercream
- Using a large mixing bowl and mixer, beat the butter and shortening until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cream. Beat well. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
- Separate the frosting evenly into 6 bowls. Set one bowl aside. You will not color it.
- In the second bowl, stir in 2 drops of blue food coloring until the color is distributed. This color will be light blue.
- In the third bowl, stir in 4 drops of blue and 4 drops of green. This is a light teal color.
- In the fourth bowl, stir in 9 drops of blue and 9 drops of green to create a darker teal.
- In the fifth bowl, stir in 3 drops of green and 2 drops of yellow to make a lime green color.
- In the sixth bowl, stir in 2 drops of pink food coloring.
- Place each frosting color in a separate piping bag or in resealable storage bags with one corner cut off.
- Practice making mermaid scales. Place a dot of color on a plate. Use a spoon tip and light touch to press the dot and pull the frosting upwards. After practicing, place the practice frosting back into the appropriate-colored frosting bag.
- Starting at the bottom of the cake, place your first dot of frosting. Press the dot with the tip of the spoon, then pull upwards to spread the frosting. Clean the back of the spoon between each frosting color. Use alternating colors and repeat until the bottom row is finished. Circle the cake with a new row. Continue until the cake is completely covered in scales. Repeat for all cakes.
- Add coordinating sprinkles on the top middle of each cake.