Print

Winning at Life Soft Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.3 from 13 reviews

This recipe for Winning at Life Soft Cinnamon Rolls delivers warm, fluffy, and irresistibly soft cinnamon rolls perfect for breakfast or dessert. The rich dough is infused with warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom, rolled with a sweet brown sugar filling, baked to golden perfection, and finished with a luscious cream cheese frosting. The step-by-step process ensures a tender dough with a perfect rise and a flavorful aromatic filling that cinnamon roll lovers will adore.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 cup very warm milk (hot to touch but not boiling)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant/active dry/traditional yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3.5 cups all purpose flour
  • Grating of nutmeg (optional)

Cinnamon Filling

  • 5 tbsp melted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed, dark brown works best)
  • 2.5 tbsp cinnamon (up to 3 tbsp if you prefer a stronger cinnamon taste)
  • 2 tsp cardamom powder (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 1.5 tbsp butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Make the dough starter: Mix the warm milk and sugar in a large bowl, then sprinkle over the yeast and let it stand for 5-10 minutes until very foamy and aromatic, indicating the yeast is active.
  2. Add wet ingredients: Whisk in the egg and melted butter into the yeast mixture, combining well.
  3. Combine dry ingredients: Stir in the remaining dough ingredients, including flour, salt, and optional nutmeg, until a rough, craggy dough forms.
  4. Knead the dough: Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a dough hook on a stand mixer for the same effect.
  5. First rise: Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and put it in a warm place (such as an oven preheated to 250°F and then turned off) to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour for instant or active dry yeast, or up to 2 hours for traditional yeast.
  6. Prepare cinnamon filling: In a bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom powder if using, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  7. Roll out dough: Once risen, roll the dough out into approximately a 14 x 18-inch rectangle. Trim edges if uneven to achieve a neat shape.
  8. Spread filling: Evenly spread the cinnamon filling in a thin layer over the rolled dough.
  9. Form rolls: Starting from the longer 18-inch side, roll the dough tightly into a spiral log, then slice into 12 even pieces.
  10. Second rise: Place the rolls into a lightly greased 13×9-inch baking pan, cover, and let them rise again in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
  11. Bake rolls: Preheat oven to 350°F and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on top.
  12. Prepare frosting: Beat the cream cheese and room temperature butter together with an electric mixer until smooth. On low speed, gradually add icing sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk, mixing until combined and creamy.
  13. Frost rolls: Let the freshly baked rolls cool for a few minutes before generously spreading the cream cheese frosting on top.

Notes

  • Ensure the milk is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
  • For a stronger cinnamon flavor, increase the cinnamon in the filling up to 3 tablespoons.
  • Using dark brown sugar enhances the depth of the filling’s sweetness.
  • Letting the dough rise in a slightly warm oven helps speed up the fermentation process.
  • Roll the dough tightly for well-defined swirls in each cinnamon roll.
  • Cool rolls slightly before frosting to prevent the cream cheese frosting from melting completely.
  • You can substitute cardamom with a pinch of ground cloves or allspice if desired.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/winning-at-life-soft-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/