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Iced cinnamon roll with edible flowers and coffee

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Soft, golden spirals filled with cinnamon-sugar and finished with a sweet glaze.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 480 g cake flour 4 cups / 17 oz
  • 67 g white sugar 1/3 cup / 2.4 oz
  • 10 g instant yeast 1 packet / 2 ¼ tsp
  • 360 ml milk 1 ½ cups / 12 oz
  • 85 g salted butter room temp (6 tbsp / 3 oz)
  • 1 egg room temp
  • Sunflower oil to grease the bowl

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

  • 57 g salted butter room temp (¼ cup / 2 oz)
  • 135 g light brown sugar 2/3 cup / 4.8 oz
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 100 g cream cheese room temp (3.5 oz)
  • 113 g salted butter room temp (½ cup / 4 oz)
  • 360 g icing sugar 3 cups / 12.7 oz
  • 30 –45 ml milk 2–3 tbsp / 1–1.5 oz
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence optional

Instructions
 

Make the Dough:

  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 240 g (2 cups) flour, sugar, and yeast.
    Mixing bowl with flour, sugar, and instant yeast
  • Heat milk and butter together in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and reheat another 30 seconds if needed until butter is mostly melted. Stir again until fully melted. Make sure it’s lukewarm—not hot—before adding to the bowl.
    Melted butter and milk mixture in a white bowl
  • Add the milk mixture and egg to the flour mixture. Beat for 2 minutes, starting on low and increasing to high speed.
    Ingredients for cinnamon roll dough in a mixing bowl, including flour, sugar yeast, and melted butter and mlik.
  • Scrape down the sides using a spatular. Add 120 g (1 cup) more flour and mix to combine.
  • Add the last 120 g (1 cup) of flour one spoonful at a time just until the dough comes together.

Knead the Dough:

  • Switch to the dough hook and knead for 9 minutes. The dough is still sticky before rising. Grease a large bowl lightly with sunflower oil. Place the dough inside and cover with a clean dish towel.
    Smooth, stretchy cinnamon roll dough after kneading.

First Rise:

  • Let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. (see Baking with Yeast - Tips for success)
    Soft and puffy cinnamon roll dough after rising in a greased bowl.

Shape the Rolls:

  • Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface (avoid cold granite in winter—see tips below).
  • Roll into a rectangle approximately 30 x 45 cm using a rolling pin.
  • Cut into 12 long strips along the longer (45 cm) side.
  • Spread each strip with room-temperature butter (reserve 1 tbsp for sealing).
  • Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over each strip and press gently to help it adhere.
  • Roll each strip tightly into a swirl and seal the edge with the reserved butter.

Second Rise:

  • Place rolls in a deep baking tray lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and then lined with parchment paper.
    Unbaked cinnamon rolls in a baking tray before their second rise, tightly coiled with visible butter and cinnamon-sugar filling.
  • Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, or until puffy and doubled.
    Cinnamon rolls in a baking tray after their second rise, puffed up and slightly expanded with defined cinnamon swirls.

Bake:

  • Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
  • Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and baked through.
    Freshly baked cinnamon rolls arranged on a baking tray, golden brown with visible swirls of cinnamon sugar.

Make the Frosting:

  • Using the paddle attachment, mix all frosting ingredients until light and fluffy.
    Bowl containing powdered sugar, butter, milk and cream cheese—ingredients for cinnamon roll icing.
  • Spread over warm (not hot) cinnamon rolls. If you let them cool completely before frosting, they lose steam (literally), and dry out fast.
    Freshly baked cinnamon rolls in a tray, covered with creamy glaze and swirled with cinnamon filling.
Keyword cinnamon rolls, cinnamon sugar filling, cream cheese frosting, soft cinnamon buns, Yeast Dough