Galaxy Graduation Cake Stars (Printable)

A celestial-themed cake decorated with swirling galaxy buttercream and sparkling edible stars.

# What You Need:

→ 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

→ 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 - Black gel food coloring
14 - Navy blue gel food coloring
15 - Purple gel food coloring
16 - Pink gel food coloring
17 - Teal gel food coloring

→ Decoration

18 - Edible gold star sprinkles
19 - Edible silver star sprinkles
20 - Edible glitter or luster dust
21 - White gel food coloring

# Directions:

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

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely jaw-dropping but isn't nearly as difficult as it appears—the messy galaxy effect actually hides imperfections beautifully.
  • The vanilla cake layers are tender and buttery, perfectly sturdy enough to hold the weight of all that gorgeous buttercream without crumbling.
  • You get to hand-paint stars and splatter edible glitter, which somehow turns baking into pure creative joy.
  • This is the kind of cake that makes people gasp when you carry it to the table, and that moment never gets old.
02 -
  • Gel food coloring is non-negotiable for this cake—liquid coloring will thin your buttercream and ruin the consistency, making it impossible to pipe those beautiful swirls.
  • If your buttercream gets too soft while piping, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes; cold buttercream holds its shape and pipes clean lines instead of melting into the cake.
  • Don't skip the crumb coat—it locks in loose crumbs so your final frosting layer stays pristine and beautiful without little cake bits showing through.
03 -
  • Make extra buttercream in the galaxy colors and keep it piped in bags in the fridge—if you mess up a section, you can pipe over it without starting from scratch.
  • Practice your splatter technique on parchment paper first; it takes the pressure off and helps you get the flick motion right before touching the actual cake.
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