Print

Night Sky Cupcakes Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 86 reviews

Night Sky Cupcakes beautifully combine rich, moist chocolate cupcakes with a vibrant, swirled galaxy buttercream frosting that mimics the cosmos. The dark chocolate base provides a deep, intense flavor while the colorful marbled buttercream frosting topped with edible glitter and star sprinkles creates an eye-catching celestial effect perfect for any special occasion or themed dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes (The Night Sky Base)

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup hot coffee or hot water

Swirled Galaxy Buttercream (The Nebula)

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Gel food coloring (Black, Royal Blue, Violet/Purple, and Pink/Fuchsia)
  • Edible silver glitter, silver star sprinkles, and white nonpareils

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Prepare a second tin if baking all cupcakes at once, as this recipe yields 14-16 cupcakes.
  2. Sift the Dry Ingredients: Sift together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine evenly and aerate the mixture.
  3. Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs until slightly frothy. Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
  4. Marry the Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, leaving a few small lumps to avoid overmixing.
  5. Bloom the Cocoa: Pour in the hot coffee or water and gently whisk until the batter is smooth and thin, allowing the cocoa to fully develop flavor.
  6. Fill and Bake: Using a scoop or measuring cup, fill cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake on the center oven rack for 18-22 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick.
  7. Cool Completely: Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for at least one hour before frosting.
  8. Cream the Butter: Beat softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  9. Incorporate the Sugar: Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed, mixing well between additions. Add a pinch of salt after all sugar is combined.
  10. Smooth and Flavor: Add heavy cream and vanilla extract; beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until smooth and spreadable. Adjust consistency with more cream or powdered sugar as needed.
  11. Divide and Color: Split frosting into four bowls. Leave one plain white; tint the others with black, royal blue, and a mix of violet/purple with pink/fuchsia gel food coloring, stirring to uniform colors.
  12. Prepare the Piping Bag: On a piece of plastic wrap, place dollops and streaks of all four frosting colors in a rectangle. Roll tightly into a log and twist ends to secure.
  13. Load the Piping Bag: Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (Wilton 1M or 2D), snip one twist end of the frosting log, and insert it into the bag reaching the tip.
  14. Pipe the Galaxy: Pipe generous swirls onto cooled cupcakes from directly above, allowing colors to twist and swirl in a galaxy effect.
  15. Add the Stars: Before frosting sets, sprinkle edible silver glitter, silver star sprinkles, and white nonpareils to resemble stars and stardust. Repeat on all cupcakes.

Notes

  • Using room temperature eggs and buttermilk aids in better batter consistency and cupcake texture.
  • Sifting dry ingredients is key for a light, lump-free batter.
  • Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough cupcakes.
  • Hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor but can be substituted with hot water if preferred.
  • Gel food coloring is recommended to maintain frosting consistency while achieving vibrant colors.
  • Allow cupcakes to fully cool before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
  • The swirling technique with frosting can be improvised for individual creativity; no two cupcakes will look the same.
  • If you want sturdier frosting for piping, chill the buttercream briefly.
  • Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer storage.

Keywords: chocolate cupcakes, galaxy frosting, buttercream, celestial cupcakes, night sky cupcakes, cosmic dessert, baking, party cupcakes

Find it online: https://thedishspot.com/night-sky-cupcakes-recipe/