Galaxy Graduation Cake Edible Stars (Print Version)

A stunning celestial cake with galaxy buttercream colors and sparkling edible stars for festive occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

→ For the Galaxy Buttercream

09 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - Gel food coloring: black, navy blue, purple, pink, and teal

→ For Decoration

14 - Edible gold and silver star sprinkles
15 - Edible glitter or luster dust
16 - White gel food coloring for stars and swirls

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then milk and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy and light.
09 - Divide buttercream into four or five bowls. Tint each with a different galaxy color using gel food coloring: black, navy blue, purple, pink, and teal.
10 - Place random spoonfuls of each colored buttercream onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll up to form a log, snip one end, and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
11 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer of galaxy buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers.
12 - Apply a generous crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Pipe and spread the marbled galaxy buttercream over the cake, gently swirling with an offset spatula to create a marbled galaxy effect.
14 - Use white gel food coloring with a food-safe paintbrush or splatter tool to flick stars across the cake surface.
15 - Decorate with edible gold and silver star sprinkles and a sprinkle of edible glitter or luster dust. Optionally add a graduation cap cake topper.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on it but comes together in surprisingly manageable time, giving you that magical baker feeling without the stress.
  • The galaxy buttercream technique is honestly easier than it looks—once you see it work, you'll want to paint the sky on every cake you make.
  • Room-temperature ingredients mean fewer dense pockets and a cake that stays tender, something I learned after one failed attempt with cold eggs.
02 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients are not optional—cold eggs and milk create separation and lumps that no amount of beating can fix, something I learned after a frustrated afternoon with a grainy batter.
  • The galaxy buttercream technique works best when colors aren't overblended; that slight swirling and marbling is what makes it look like an actual night sky rather than a muddy mess.
  • Chilling between crumb coat and final frost is the secret to a smooth, professional-looking finish—impatience here leads to crumbs in your beautiful frosting.
03 -
  • Measure your ingredients by weight if you have a scale—it's more precise than cups and eliminates the guessing that leads to dry cake or dense crumb.
  • The galaxy buttercream log can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored in a piping bag in the refrigerator, which means you can break this project into manageable steps.
  • If your cake layers aren't perfectly level, slice them flat with a serrated knife or use a cake leveler—uneven layers create wobbly stacks that stress you out during frosting.
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