Briana Milner This Galaxy Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting truly is “out of this world”! What future astronaut wouldn’t love this cake for their special celebration that makes them feel they are somewhere out in the galaxy with stars all around them?!
If you want a vanilla cake that is light, fluffy, moist and delicious with an amazing buttercream frosting, forget about buying a box cake mix, and make your next cake from scratch. Even if you have not tried baking a cake from scratch before, you may be surprised at how simple it is, and the flavor and freshness is so much better than any box mix.
This recipe is for a simple, yet elegant, vanilla cake which is then covered with a smooth and sweet buttercream frosting. Buttercream frosting works great for layered cakes and can be colored or have flavors added to make your cake the perfect dessert for any occasion.
What size is this cake?
This galaxy cake recipe is for a 2-tier, 6-inch cake.
This cake has no food dyes!
There are no food dyes used in the recipe as we have taken food dyes from our family’s diet, so you will see the galaxy colors are made completely from 100% natural food-based ingredients!
What does this cake taste like? Can I taste the natural food dyes? Does it alter the flavor?
No! You cannot taste the food dyes. Because there is such a small amount of the natural dyes, you only taste the cake and buttercream frosting the way it is intended. My picky eaters can’t tell! However, because you will use so much baking cocoa powder to help dye your frosting black, there is a hint of chocolate – yum!
Beetroot – sweet, mixes well with cocoa
Butterfly pea powder – mildly sweet, similar to chamomile
Matcha – sweet, with a hint of nuttiness
There’s even health benefits for this cake! That means you can have more than one slice!
The health benefits of natural food coloring powders are many. They contain vitamins and minerals, do not cause allergies, do not contain harmful chemicals found in synthetic dyes, provide multiple benefits to you and your family’s overall health, and are a healthy alternative to artificial food coloring.
What if I prefer using food coloring?
No problem! You can absolutely use food coloring that you would find at the store, or even what you might already have in your pantry! I suggest using only a few drops at a time until you reach your desired color.
Some extra notes for you to make your experience successful!
For a fluffier cake, make sure all cold ingredients have been brought to room temperature.
Springfoam pans can “leak” so it is important to use regular cake pans.
Cake flour can be used though the flavor is better when all-purpose flour is used.
Cool cake completely before frosting.
After frosting the cake, refrigerate it for one hour to let the frosting set. The cake will slice easier and with less crumbs.
Baking powder – to make sure the baking powder is fresh, pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. If the mixture bubbles, the baking powder is good; if it doesn’t bubble, it is time to replace the baking powder.
Can I make my cake ahead of time?
Yes! Unfrosted cakes can be wrapped and refrigerated overnight until you are ready to add frosting. Unfrosted cakes can also be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, wrap the cake in two layers of plastic wrap, then one layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Thaw overnight and bring to room temperature before decorating.
Love lemon?
For a variation on this recipe, substitute 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 teaspoon lemon zest for the vanilla extract.
Baking comparisons:
Cupcakes – recipe makes 16-20 standard cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes
Mini cupcakes – recipe makes 30-36 mini cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-14 minutes
8″x8″ square pan – bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes
Ingredients
Granulated sugar – this works best for this recipe.
Vegetable oil
Large eggs – for a fluffier texture in your cake, eggs should be at room temperature before adding them to the recipe.
Vanilla Extract – vanilla extract will give your cake a better flavor. I suggest that it is real vanilla extract for a better flavor! Especially since it’s a vanilla cake, you will taste the vanilla.
Sour cream – it’s best to use regular sour cream instead of light to keep your cake thicker and fluffy.
All purpose flour
Baking powder – to make sure the baking powder is fresh, pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. If the mixture bubbles, the baking powder is good; if it doesn’t bubble, it is time to replace the baking powder.
Salt – table salt is best
Milk – room temperature will provide the fluffier texture in the cake. I suggest using whole milk as the fat will give your cake a fluffier texture.
Frosting:
Salted butter – softened
Confectioner’s sugar – finely powdered sugar used for frostings and icings
Heavy whipping cream
Vanilla Extract
Galaxy:
Pink: Beetroot powder
Blue: Butterfly pea powder
Black: Matcha powder, cocoa baking powder, butterfly pea powder
Stars: white food dye
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil. Whisk together until fully incorporated.
Add the sour cream and milk and combine.
In another mixing bowl, combine and mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients Into the wet ingredients until a smooth batter remains.
Spray the two 6” cake pans with oil and pour the evenly divided amount of batter in each. Place the pans on a baking sheet for convenience and cook at 350°f for 20 minutes.
Test the center of the cakes with a toothpick to be sure they’re fully cooked. Once cooked, remove and set aside to completely cool before removing the cakes from the pan.
While the cakes are cooling, add the butter, 3 cups of confectioners sugar, and half of the cream and vanilla.
Mix until creamy, gradually adding and alternating the remaining sugar, cream, and vanilla. Once the ingredients are mixed, increase the speed to high and whip the frosting for 5 minutes. Divide the frosting in half. Set aside 1 half. Divide the other half into thirds. You will use each third to make the pink frosting, blue frosting, and black frosting.
To mix the pink color, add beetroot powder 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired color.
To mix the blue color, add butterfly pea powder 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired color.
To mix the black color, add beetroot, butterfly peas, matcha powders, and cocoa, 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired color.
Divide the remaining 1/2 of the white buttercream by removing 1/3 and setting aside for mess-ups.
Once cakes are fully cooled, using a cake or bread knife slice off the risen center of the cakes making them flat-topped.
Place the bottom layer on a flat surface. Add a dollop of white frosting and evenly spread leaving a 1/2” thickness.
Flip the other cake upside down and on top of the frosted cake. Completely frost the two layers of cake with a thin layer of white buttercream frosting. Smooth frosting as desired but maintain the edges of the cakes.
Now apply small dollops of the pink and blue frosting across the entire cake. Then fill in the remaining space with the black frosting.
Using an offset spatula or spreading knife, spread the frosting around to create a black space like a void with splashes of pink and blue and inevitably purple nebula-like clouds.
Once the frosting reaches the desired mixture. Dip a small watercolor paintbrush in the white food color and flick it on the cake. This will round out the design with stars and hopefully give the illusion of infinite depth.
Serve this cake at your next out-of-this-world party!
My grocery list!
Cake Pans
For this recipe, you will be able to make 2 – 6 inch cake pans. If you want to exact, you can place a bowl on a food scale, zero it out, weigh it by oz, then divide by two. Then place one cake pan on the your food scale, zero it out, and fill it to the final oz weight. Then fill the remaining cake batter in the second cake pan. These are the can pans I used!
Paintbrush for the “stars”
I actually took a small paintbrush from my daughter’s craft supplies! It worked great! These are similar to the one I used:
Mixer:
I used my KitchenAid to mix up my cake mix, frosting, and cream from the cookies together. This is the one I use!
I love having extra bowls on hand for my KitchenAid. This is the one I use in addition to the silver bowl.
Here are some other recipes you might enjoy!
- Air Fryer Focaccia
- Air Fryer Korean-Style Beef Ribs
- Air Fryer Starbucks Copycat Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites
- Jalapeño Cheddar No Knead Artisan Bread Loaf
- Air Fryer Popcorn
Galaxy Cake
Equipment
- 2 Cake Pans 6 inch
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Paint Brush
- 1 White paint for stars
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup milk
Frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Galaxy
Pink
- 2 teaspoons beetroot powder or more if you desire
Blue
- 2 teaspoons butterfly pea powder or more if you desire
Black
- 4 teaspoons matcha powder
- 4 teaspoons baked cocoa
- 2 teaspoons pea powder
“Stars”
- White food dye
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil. Whisk together until fully incorporated.
- Add the sour cream and milk and combine.
- In another mixing bowl, combine and mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients Into the wet ingredients until a smooth batter remains.
- Spray the two 6” cake pans with oil and pour the evenly divided amount of batter in Al each.
- Place the pans on a baking sheet for convenience and cook at 350°f for 20 minutes. Test the center of the cakes with a toothpick to be sure they’re fully cooked.
- Once cooked, remove and set aside to completely cool before removing the cakes from the pan.
- While the cakes are cooling, add the butter, 3 cups of confectioners sugar, and half of the cream and vanilla. Mix until creamy, gradually adding and alternating the remaining sugar, cream, and vanilla.
- Once the ingredients are mixed, increase the speed to high and whip the frosting for 5 minutes.
- Divide the frosting in half. Set aside 1 half. Divide the other half into thirds. You will use each third to make the pink frosting, blue frosting, and black frosting.
- To mix the pink color, add beetroot powder 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired tent.
- To mix the blue color, add butterfly pea powder 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired tent.
- To mix the black color, add beetroot, butterfly peas, matcha powders, and cocoa, 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired tent
- Divide the remaining 1/2 of the white buttercream by removing 1/3 and setting aside for mess-ups.
- Once cakes are fully cooled, using a cake or bread knife slice off the risen center of the cakes making them flat-topped.
- Place the bottom layer on a flat surface. Add a dollop of white frosting and evenly spread leaving a 1/2” thickness.
- Flip the other cake upside down and on top of the frosted cake.
- Completely frost the two layers of cake with a thin layer of white buttercream frosting. Smooths frost as desired but maintain the edges of the cakes.
- Now apply small dollops of the pink and blue frosting across the entire cake. Then fill in the remaining space with the black frosting. Using an offset spatula or spreading knife, spread the frosting around to create a black space like a void with splashes of pink and blue and inevitably purple nebula-like clouds.
- Once the frosting reaches the desired mixture. Dip a small watercolor paintbrush in the white food color and flick it on the cake. This will round out the design with stars and hopefully give the illusion of infinite depth.
- Serve this cake at your next out-of-this-world party!
