Zodiac Pisces Cupcakes Fish (Printable View)

Vanilla cupcakes adorned with fondant fish, ideal for zodiac-themed celebrations and charming gatherings.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Blue gel food coloring

→ Fondant Fish Toppers

14 - 8 ounces white fondant
15 - Gel food coloring in blue, green, orange, and yellow
16 - Edible black marker or black food coloring
17 - Cornstarch for dusting

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with milk in three additions. Mix just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool cupcakes completely in the tin before removing.
07 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add milk as needed to achieve a fluffy, spreadable consistency. Tint with blue gel food coloring to desired shade.
08 - Divide white fondant into portions. Tint each section with gel food coloring in blue, green, orange, and yellow using gel food coloring, kneading until color is uniform.
09 - Shape small ovals from colored fondant for fish bodies and flatten slightly. Create tiny triangles for tails and fins. Attach tails and fins using a small dab of water. Allow fish toppers to air-dry on parchment paper.
10 - Using an edible black marker or a tiny brush with black food coloring, carefully dot eyes onto each fondant fish.
11 - Frost cooled cupcakes with blue buttercream, swirling the frosting to resemble water waves.
12 - Place one air-dried fondant fish on top of each frosted cupcake.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Vanilla cupcakes that stay moist and tender, the kind people actually want seconds of.
  • Fondant fish are easier to make than you'd think, and they turn a simple cupcake into something memorable.
  • Blue buttercream frosting looks like water, so the whole presentation feels like a little edible ocean on a plate.
02 -
  • Never start with warm eggs—they'll cook when you add them to the creamed butter and sugar, creating lumps instead of a smooth batter.
  • Overmixing batter after adding flour is the enemy of tender cupcakes, so mix just until you don't see streaks of dry ingredient.
  • Gel food coloring is non-negotiable for fondant; liquid coloring will make it sticky and impossible to work with.
03 -
  • If your blue buttercream looks too purple, you've added too much coloring—start with literally just a toothpick dab of gel color and build from there.
  • Fondant fish dry better and look more finished if you let them sit for at least an hour on parchment paper before placing them on cupcakes.
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