A recipe for Galaxy Doughnuts inspired by our visit to Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C! These dark chocolate cake donuts are topped with a galaxy-like glaze.
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The National Air and Space Museum recently reopened to the public on October 14th, 2022 following renovations to the new west end galleries with eight updated exhibitions.
Additional galleries are set to open in 2025.
National Air and Space Museum
The museum pairs historical and modern artifacts surrounding air and space with nearly a hundred interactive and digital experiences.
We took the metro to L’Enfant Plaza and it was a short 0.2 mile (322 meter) walk north to the museum.
Enter through the Independence Ave SW public entrance. We arrived 15 min before our scheduled time and waited in the line just to the left of the entrance.
During our visit in January 2023, timed entry passes were required. Passes are released six weeks in advance. Same day passes may be available on the website at 8:30 am with the possibility of additional afternoon passes released at 12:30 pm.
They also have a larger companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of DC near the Washington Dulles International Airport.
Mars Cafe
Our entry passes were for 11 am, so we actually went down to the Mars Café on the lower level before checking out the exhibits.
This small cafe has a few indoor tables with bathrooms and a family care suite nearby.
The menu includes a full espresso bar, salads, sandwiches, soup, pastries, and snacks. The kids loved the themed lunar cookies.
We enjoyed the Cinnamon Roll, Winter White Mocha, Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich Melt with roasted tomato and pesto on ciabatta, and Black Forest Ham and Cheese with Vermont cheddar, apple, and dijon on a pretzel roll.
The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
The Wright Brothers & Invention of the Aerial Age focuses on the invention of the airplane by Wilbur and Orville Wright.
Highlights include the original 1903 Wright Flyer (first successful powered airplane) and one of five original Wright Bicycles.
Early Flight
Early Flight covers the Wright brothers’ first flights in 1903 to the beginning of World War I in 1914.
This exhibit is home to the 1909 Wright Military Flyer (world’s first military airplane), Lilienthal glider, Blériot XI, Ecker Flying Boat, and interactive displays.
Thomas W. Haas We All Fly
The Thomas W. Haas We All Fly is a new gallery on general aviation and the variety of careers in sport, private, business, humanitarian and utility flight.
Highlights include the Fulton Airphibian (first approved roadable aircraft), Dale White’s Silk Scarf and Fabric Helmet, and Larry’s Lawn Chair.
America by Air
The America by Air section focuses on the changing of commercial aviation and transportation. This area has high ceilings spanning across two levels of the museum with airplanes hanging from above and interactive exhibits on the lower level.
Notable artifacts include the Boeing 247-D (first modern airliner), Emily Howell Warner’s pilot’s uniform, and the Huff-Daland Duster (first crop-dusting aircraft).
The kids spent most of their time in the exhibits on the second floor. They were particularly excited to go up the escalator and see the full-sized X-Wing Starfighter hanging from the ceiling.
It is on loan from Lucasfilm and appeared in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
One World Connected
One World Connected shows how technology in aviation and spaceflight has increased human connections across the world. The kids particularly enjoyed the interactive parts of this exhibit.
Highlights include the large interactive globe, ATS 6 Antenna (this 1970s satellite sent signals to small antennas on Earth), and Iridium Communications Satellite (allowed the use of mobile phone calls and sending of data from anywhere in the world in 1998).
Destination Moon
Destination Moon focuses on the history of lunar exploration with notable artifacts, stories, and audiovisual displays.
Included in the gallery are the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit, Mercury Freedom 7 capsule (on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard was the first American to fly into space in this capsule), and more.
Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets
The Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets exhibit was the favorite gallery for both kids. The entire area offers a hands-on and brightly colored view of the solar system.
Notable items include the Stardust Return Capsule (first US spacecraft to bring back material from beyond the moon), Spock Ear Tips, and “Marie Curie” Rover.
Nation of Speed
Nation of Speed covers the use of technology through history to increase speed and time in space, air, land, and sea. This exhibit is a collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
On display are the Glenn Curtiss Motorcycle, Blackbird gear, Sonic Wind No. 1 Rocket Sled, Modified Harley-Davidson XR-750 Motorcycle, and more.
Overall, we had such a wonderful time visiting the renovated Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and can’t wait to see the upcoming updates over the next couple of years.
Allow for 2-4 hours to visit all the galleries. We were here around three hours. Nearly one hour was spent exploring the new three level museum store.
Galaxy Doughnuts
To pair with this post, the kids requested something galaxy-related. I made a Galaxy-themed cake for Evan’s 9th birthday and wanted to do something similar, but without the complexity of the gelatin-based mirror glaze.
We ended up with Galaxy Doughnuts! They were such a fun and delicious treat without all the work of putting together an entire cake.
The dark chocolate cake donuts are baked in doughnut-shaped pans until puffed and set, then covered with a galaxy-like glaze.
Galaxy Glaze
The galaxy glaze has a simple vanilla icing base with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
Sift the powdered sugar first to help prevent lumps in the glaze.
Slowly whisk the milk and vanilla extract into the powdered sugar until smooth and just thin enough to coat the doughnuts. If too thick, add a little more milk. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
We made the glaze using black, purple, red, blue, and green gel food coloring. While we went with five colors, you can use more or less based on personal preference.
Divide the prepared glaze evenly among five bowls and add one drop of the desired food color in each one. Adjust the colors as needed.
Pour each of the colors into a shallow bowl wide enough to dip the doughnuts. Very lightly and gently swirl the colors together with a toothpick or knife. It should be a very light swirl, not enough to mix completely.
Dip the top of each cooled doughnut into the glaze, twisting slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to set.
For a little more sparkle, top the doughnuts with a small sprinkling of food-safe silver glitter.
A Few Baked Doughnut Tips
I used this doughnut pan (Amazon link) to make the round baked doughnuts. Unfortunately, the heart-shaped pan I have is currently unavailable.
The easiest way to fill the (well-greased) pan is to transfer the batter to a piping bag or large ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. You can also gently spoon the batter in until each cavity is 2/3-3/4 full.
Don’t have a doughnut pan? Use a mini muffin pan to make doughnut bites- the cooking time may vary.
Bake the donuts until puffed and just set. The tops should spring back when lightly touched. This is usually around 10-12 minutes in my oven.
Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing. This will make them easier to move without the risk of sticking to the pan or crumbling.
These Galaxy Doughnuts are best within a few hours of baking. Once the doughnuts have been glazed, they will become sticky after a few hours.
Notable Ingredients
I used black cocoa powder to create the deep dark chocolate color and flavor in the Galaxy Doughnuts. It can be found in the specialty baking section of some grocery stores or on Amazon: Black Cocoa Powder.
If unavailable, you can substitute with dark cocoa powder or plain unsweetened cocoa powder. The color just won’t be as dark.
Looking for more doughnut recipes?
Try my:
Galaxy Doughnuts Recipe
Adapted from A Magical Mess
Galaxy Doughnuts
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Doughnuts:
- 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) black or dark cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) milk
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Galaxy Glaze:
- 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 2-4 tablespoons (30-60 milliliters) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring I used black, blue, purple, green, and red
Instructions
To make the Dark Chocolate Doughnuts:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease 2-3 doughnut pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, instant espresso powder, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix into the flour mixture just until incorporated with no lumps.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a large ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into prepared doughnut pans. Each cavity should be about 3/4 full.
- Bake in preheated oven until set and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 10-12 minutes.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
To make the Galaxy Glaze:
- In a large bowl, slowly whisk the milk and the vanilla extract into the powdered just until smooth and thin enough to coat the doughnuts.
- Divide the glaze equally among five bowls. Add one drop of the desired food coloring to each bowl and stir until evenly colored. Adjust coloring as needed.
- Pour each of the colors into a shallow bowl wide enough to dip the doughnuts.
- Use a toothpick or knife to very gently and lightly swirl the colors.
- Dip the top of a cooled doughnut into the glaze, twisting slightly. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with remaining doughnuts.
- These Galaxy Doughnuts are best the day they are baked and assembled.
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