These pillowy, soft, sweet yet tangy cinnamon rolls have been tried and loved by many! The signature cream cheese icing is a comforting touch that will leave you wanting more. They are known to disappear fast!
When I first started cottage baking, cinnamon rolls were the first recipe I wanted to master. Who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll? They’re so comforting to the soul. As someone who loves dough recipes and baking bread, the dough didn’t take too long to get down pack. However, the icing? That was another story.
I was having a hard time with incorporating cream cheese into the icing which left me with clumpy bits. I also started considering shipping and shipping cream cheese icing was not an option. So, I went the “glaze” route.
The rolls tasted great with the glaze, but the problem was it was hard to capture on camera. The glaze was so light that I couldn’t capture the essence to give a glimpse into the taste. Plus I was just missing that classic cream cheese flavor profile.
I decided to keep trying to master the icing, and one day I finally got it. The perfect soft roll met the perfect cream cheese icing, and this was born. They became an irrisistable menu item that did not disappoint.
Perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning, a slice of bacon or sausage for breakfast, or with a scoop of ice cream for a dessert. This cinnamon roll can bring joy to any part of your day. Check out the full tutorial below on how to make these classic cream cheese cinnamon rolls.
I pray this a message to those who are frustrated with trying to get it right. Don’t give up. With patience and genuine love for your craft, the answer will reveal itself and unfold in beautiful way!
See below for full recipe!
Classic CInnamon Rolls
SERVINGS: 12 cinnamon rolls
PREP TIME: about 3 hours
COOK TIME: about 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: about 3 hours and 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole milk
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
¼ cup cane sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp sour cream or greek yogurt
3 cups unbleached flour
¾ tsp salt
FILLING:
4 tbsp browned butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
8 oz cream cheese
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
6 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla paste
½ cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
Warm the milk to the temp of lukewarm water. Pour in a bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar. Whisk and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Add the cooled melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and sour cream. Mix until well combined.
Add the flour and salt and mix until a dough begins to form.
Knead dough on floured surface for 8-10 minutes.
Lightly grease a clean bowl and place the dough ball inside. Cover and allow to rise in a warm area for 1-1 ½ hours.
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling and mix well.
After the 1st rise, roll dough out into a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling onto the dough evenly.
Using a pizza cutter, cut even strips of the rectable dough. Roll each strip up into a cinnamon roll.
Spread remaining filling mixture on the bottom of the baking pan. Place the rolls on top. Cover and allow to rise again for 30 minutes.
After rising, pour ½ cup warm or room temperature buttermilk over the rolls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 17-20 minutes. While baking, combine ingredients for icing in separate bowl with a hand mixer for optimum blend.
Once rolls are finished, immediately spread icing on warm rolls. Enjoy!
