# What You'll Need:
→ For the Cake
01 - 2 1/2 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 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
→ For the Galaxy Buttercream
09 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 1/4 cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - Gel food coloring in 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. 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 until evenly distributed.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
05 - Distribute batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges 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 and light.
08 - Divide buttercream into four or five bowls. Tint each portion with a different galaxy color using gel food coloring to achieve black, navy blue, purple, pink, and teal hues.
09 - Place random spoonfuls of each colored buttercream onto plastic wrap. Roll up to form a log. Snip one end and transfer the log 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, stacking evenly.
11 - Apply a generous crumb coat of buttercream all over the cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm.
12 - Pipe and spread galaxy buttercream over the chilled cake, swirling gently with an offset spatula to create a marbled galaxy effect across all surfaces.
13 - Use white gel food coloring and a food-safe paintbrush or splatter tool to flick on stars across the cake surface for celestial embellishment.
14 - Decorate with edible gold and silver star sprinkles and a sprinkle of edible glitter or luster dust to enhance the galaxy effect.
15 - Add a graduation cap cake topper for a festive celebratory touch if desired.
