Looking for a cute, easy Father’s Day dessert? These Gone Fishing Cupcakes are perfect for celebrating Dad—or for any fishing birthday party, summer picnic, or BBQ!
Each cupcake is topped with a pretzel fishing pole, fondant fishing line, and a goldfish cracker “catch.” Plus, there’s a surprise sprinkle filling inside for an extra fun bite.
No fancy baking skills needed—just simple ingredients, a little frosting, and some edible decorations to create this adorable lake scene. It’s a fun DIY fishing cupcakes project you can even do with the kids!
Craving more themed treats? Don’t miss my bow and arrow cupcakes recipe for your next party!
Ingredients for Gone Fishing Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes:
- 12 vanilla cupcakes (homemade or store-bought)
- 12 goldfish crackers (goldfish cracker cupcake topper)
- 12 pretzel sticks (pretzel fishing pole)
- White fondant (fondant fishing line)
- Green fondant (fondant lake greenery)
- Under the sea sprinkle mix (fish sprinkle cupcakes)
- White sugar pearl sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Blue food coloring (blue frosting cupcakes)
- 1 disposable piping bag
- Wilton #1M piping tip (or Wilton #2D)
How to Make Gone Fishing Cupcakes
1. Make the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and heavy cream.
- Add blue food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach your desired shade.
- Beat everything together until smooth and creamy.
2. Fill the Cupcakes
- Use a cupcake corer tool, melon baller, or small knife to core the center of each cupcake. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom.
- Fill each hole with under the sea sprinkle mix or your favorite candy fish.
- Replace the cupcake core on top to cover the filling.
3. Frost the Cupcakes
- Spoon the blue frosting into a disposable piping bag fitted with a Wilton #1M or #2D piping tip.
- Pipe swirls of frosting onto each cupcake to create a “lake” look.
4. Decorate the Cupcakes
- Roll small pieces of white fondant into thin ropes, about ¾ inch long, to make the fishing lines.
- Roll green fondant into thin, twisted strips to look like lake greenery. Let them dry for a few minutes.
- Stick a pretzel stick into the side of each cupcake to act as the fishing pole.
- Attach the white fondant fishing line to the top of the pretzel.
- Add a goldfish cracker to the end of each fondant line as the “catch.”
- Arrange the green fondant greenery around the frosting.
- Sprinkle white sugar pearls over the frosting to look like bubbles.
Time Estimate for Gone Fishing Cupcakes
- Decorating time: about 30 minutes
- Total time with store-bought cupcakes: 30 minutes
- Total time with homemade cupcakes: about 1 hour 30 minutes
These easy fishing cupcakes come together quickly, especially if you start with pre-baked vanilla cupcakes. Perfect for busy parents, working professionals, or anyone planning a last-minute Father’s Day dessert.
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Gone Fishing Cupcakes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
These Gone Fishing Cupcakes are an adorable Father’s Day dessert or fishing birthday party treat, topped with a pretzel fishing pole, fondant fishing line, goldfish cracker catch, and filled with surprise sprinkles inside.
Ingredients
- 12 vanilla cupcakes (homemade or store-bought)
- 12 goldfish crackers
- 12 pretzel sticks
- White fondant
- Green fondant
- Under the sea sprinkle mix
- White sugar pearl sprinkles
- 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Blue food coloring
- 1 disposable piping bag
- Wilton #1M or #2D piping tip
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract and heavy cream.
- Add blue food coloring a few drops at a time until desired shade is reached.
- Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Use a cupcake corer, melon baller, or small knife to core the center of each cupcake without cutting through the bottom.
- Fill each hole with under the sea sprinkle mix.
- Replace the cupcake core on top to cover the filling.
- Spoon blue frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton #1M or #2D tip.
- Pipe swirls of frosting onto each cupcake to create a lake look.
- Roll small pieces of white fondant into thin ropes about ¾ inch long for fishing lines.
- Roll green fondant into thin twisted strips for lake greenery and let dry for a few minutes.
- Stick a pretzel stick into the side of each cupcake as the fishing pole.
- Attach the white fondant fishing line to the top of the pretzel.
- Add a goldfish cracker to the end of each fondant line as the catch.
- Arrange green fondant greenery around the frosting.
- Sprinkle white sugar pearls over the frosting to look like bubbles.
Notes
For a shortcut, use boxed cake mix or store-bought cupcakes. Let kids help decorate with the goldfish crackers and sprinkles for extra fun.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 42g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: fishing cupcakes, Father’s Day dessert, goldfish cracker cupcakes, fun cupcakes, kids decorating cupcakes
Optional Tips and Variations for Gone Fishing Cupcakes
- Use boxed cake mix or store-bought cupcakes to save time. These DIY fishing cupcakes still look homemade with your fun decorations.
- Swap the fondant greenery for green licorice ropes or edible grass candy for an easier decorating option.
- Try different fillings inside the cupcakes, like mini M&Ms, gummy fish, or chocolate chips, for more surprise inside cupcake ideas.
- If you don’t have a cupcake corer tool, a small spoon or paring knife works just fine for cupcake coring.
- For a brighter look, add more under the sea sprinkles or extra sugar pearl sprinkles on top.
- Decorating cupcakes with kids? Let them help place the goldfish cracker cupcake toppers and sprinkle the bubbles—they’ll love being part of it.
- Want a nautical cupcakes twist? Add tiny fondant life preservers or seashell candy decorations along with the fishing pole topper.
Looking for more fun party desserts? Try these recipes next:
Related Recipes and Final Thoughts
If you loved making these Gone Fishing Cupcakes, here are more fun desserts to try for your next party or family celebration:
- snickers strawberry cheesecake
- strawberry icebox cake
- red velvet brownies
- strawberry cheesecake dump cake
- easter jello pie recipe
Whether you’re baking these cupcakes for Father’s Day, a fishing birthday party, or a fun summer picnic, they’re sure to hook smiles all around the table. Easy to make, fun to decorate, and full of surprises inside—these fishing themed cupcakes are a guaranteed catch.
Happy baking!