Galaxy Cupcakes {With Buttercream Icing}

Quick and easy galaxy cupcakes recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Chocolate cupcakes are piped with a swirl of cosmic multicolored buttercream icing to look like outer space or the Milky Way.

These are some of the most magical cupcakes I have ever made and they are easier to make than they look, just like my Galaxy Cookies (Buttercream Icing). These are perfect for kid birthday parties, and especially tweens and teens when the cutesy themes are not as desirable anymore. Shoot, I want these for my next birthday! I love how the sprinkles actually look like space debris, and everything pops against the black frosting with peaks of galactic color. These would look amazing surrounding this Easy Galaxy Cake on your dessert table.

Jump to:

• How to Make Easy Galaxy Cupcakes With Buttercream Icing? 
• Galaxy Buttercream Icing/ Frosting
• Variations For Cosmic Milky Way Cupcakes
• Tips And Techniques For Outer Space Cupcakes
• Storage of Homemade Galaxy Chocolate Cupcakes
• More Decorated Cupcakes
• Recipe

How to Make Easy Galaxy Cupcakes With Buttercream Icing? 

1. Bake and cool- Prepare frosting during this time.
2. Fill piping bag- Use saran wrap, and spoon rows of colored icing onto it.
3. Roll icing log- Twist both ends, snip tip, and place into the piping bag with Wilton tip attached.
4. Frost cupcakes- Spray with edible glitter.
5. Add sprinkles- Like sugar crystals or rock candy or stars wherever you like. Enjoy.

Galaxy Buttercream Icing/ Frosting

To make this frosting, you will need about 2 cups of black icing and 4 cups total of pink, blue, and purple buttercream icing. If you are making the black icing, it will need to be made a few days in advance so the color can deepen properly. First, spread saran wrap on your counter. Pipe or roughly spoon rows of different colored icings. I like to use more black than other bright colors. Then, roll the saran wrap into a log and twist both ends. Slide it through a piping bag that's been attached with Wilton Tip # 1M. Snip off the saran wrap corner with scissors and when you squeeze the bag, the icing should be able to come through easily now. Roll the piping bag in your hands to allow the colors to roughly mix with each other. Finish by piping a swirl of this onto your cupcakes!

Variations For Cosmic Milky Way Cupcakes

• Fill cupcakes- They can be made piñata style with a sprinkles filling, or traditionally you can Make Filled Cupcakes {Stuffed Cupcakes} with icings, jams, ganache, etc. You can even try filling them with multicolored icings for another sweet galactic surprise inside.
• Try other cupcake flavors- Such as Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes {With Filling}, Brownie Cupcakes {From Scratch}, or Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (With Mint Frosting).
• Try other frosting flavors- Such as White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Best Cream Cheese Frosting, or How to Make Homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream. All of these can be colored to pink, purple, and blue!
• Add a moon- I think a crescent moon sprinkle on top would look so cute. You could even make a larger fondant moon or star, whatever your creative eye prefers.
• Use another piping tip- I used Wilton #1M for this swirl, but if you prefer a different tip, then go for it!

Tips And Techniques For Outer Space Cupcakes

• Black frosting can be store-bought or homemade- Be aware, it does take a couple of days to get the color deep enough. I have included the homemade recipe in the card below, but it’s entirely up to you.
• Galaxy sprinkles mix- They are selling some amazing mixes these days online, but you can make your own blend too. Mix together a variety of shapes and sizes and ensure they are either black, gray or silver. I also like to toss in some sugar crystals and rock candy so they look like asteroids. 
• Use tweezers (that you use only for food)- Place bigger sprinkle pieces like sugar crystals or rock candy on specific areas of the frosting swirl so that it looks the best, in terms of overall appearance. Simply tossing the sprinkles on top of iced cupcakes might not look as elegant when so many shapes and sizes are involved. 
• What is edible glitter spray? Why to buy it? It is a can of micro-fine edible glitter, made of sugar, that you can spray to coat frosting, fondant, modeling chocolate, or any treat really to give it a sparkle. It comes in so many colors too! You can buy it online on Amazon or Wilton, or in stores at Hobby Lobby, Joann, Michaels, or Walmart.
• If you have never decorated cupcakes- Check out my post on How to Decorate Cupcakes where I show you how to make this classic swirl and many others. 
• Don't skip the saran wrap- It is so much easier to roll the colors together than to try and spoon rows of different colors into the piping bag directly. It also makes clean-up a breeze.
• Cool cupcakes completely before frosting- Because this prevents the frosting from melting and sliding off the cupcakes.

Storage of Homemade Galaxy Chocolate Cupcakes

• Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze- I would not freeze the cupcakes with the sprinkles and decor on top. However, you can freeze non-decorated cupcakes for up to 1 month. Thaw to room temperature, decorate, and enjoy!
• Room temperature- These can stay out for 3-5 hours.
• Make ahead- These can be made 1-2 days in advance.

More Decorated Cupcakes

• Snowman Cupcakes {With Donut Toppers}
• Rainbow Cupcakes {With Cake Mix}
• How to Make Ladybug Cupcakes
• Easy Fondant Daisies {Daisy Cupcakes}
• Blueberry Cupcakes
• Snowflake Cupcakes {Winter Cupcakes}

Recipe