These Best Ever Soft Cinnamon Rolls are topped with a cream cheese icing and include a secret ingredient that complements the buttery brown sugar cinnamon filling.
There are just some desserts that are better store bought rather than homemade. I hold this belief about box mix brownies and refrigerated cinnamon rolls from a tube. I love that “tube cinnamon rolls” are ultra soft and stay that way even after cooling off.
So even though I love a “tube cinnamon roll” I also love a baking challenge. So I set out to make these soft cinnamon rolls.
I adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour, which is a fantastic recipe, but I made a few modifications.
What makes these soft cinnamon rolls special
These soft cinnamon rolls are made special by a secret ingredient in the filling and an optional ingredient in the dough.
I paired cinnamon with cardamom to create a varied flavor profile in the filling. I fell in love with cardamom after making my Mango Cardamom Scones. It is such an aromatic spice that complements most desserts.
The optional ingredient in the dough is diastatic malt powder.
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What is diastatic malt powder
In baking, diastatic malt powder adds sweetness and a polished crust without having to use as much yeast.
Diastatic malt powder contains active enzymes which break down and convert starches and proteins in dough into sugars. These sugars feed the yeast, resulting in a finer crumb and a higher and smoother rise.
What do you need to make homemade cinnamon rolls
I love cinnamon-flavored desserts because I can almost guarantee I have most everything I need to bake already on hand, versus like fruit or chocolate desserts where I may not keep fresh fruit or certain chocolates in my fridge and pantry at all times.
- Milk
- Bread flour
- Yeast
- Eggs
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Cardamom (optional)
- Diastatic malt powder (optional)
How to slice cinnamon roll dough
The best way to slice cinnamon roll dough is with unflavored dental floss, (clean) fishing line or a wire cheese cutter. Lay your log of dough seam side down and slide the floss underneath (see photo below). Pull the ends of the floss across in opposite directions.
This creates the classic bun shapes without squishing the filling out or squashing the shape, which can happen when you use a knife, especially one that is not very sharp.
Tips
If you do not have unflavored dental floss or fishing line, a sharp knife will also work to slice the rolls.
These rolls are best served warm but they will stay soft for a few days — which is why this recipe is so great!
📖 Recipe
Best Ever Soft Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 5 tablespoon water (71g)
- 5 tablespoon whole milk (71g)
- 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon bread flour (25g)
Dough
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour (495g)
- ¼ teaspoon diastatic malt powder optional
- 1 ¾ teaspoon salt (11g)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- ¾ cup whole milk (170g) 110°F-115°F
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (85g)
Filling
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4-5 cardamom pods crushed and seeds ground to a powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
Icing
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Make the tangzhong
- Combine 5 tablespoon water, 5 tablespoon milk and 3 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk constantly as it cooks until the mixture has thickened, similar to a thick pudding consistency. This can take 1-3 minutes depending on your burner strength.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the dough
- Combine the tangzhong mixture with the rest of the dough ingredients either in a large bowl (if mixing by hand) or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix just until everything comes together and then rest the dough (covered) for 20 minutes.
- After resting, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Rather than kneading for an amount of time, perform the window pane test on your dough periodically if you think it is ready. Do this by grabbing a small bit of dough and stretching it between your fingers like this. If it stretches without tearing, it is ready. If it tears when stretched, keep kneading.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover and proof for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Make the filling
- Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and softened butter in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Keep one half covered while you work with the other.
- Roll the dough into a 16” x 8” rectangle. Spread half of the filling onto the dough. Starting with the long side, roll up the dough into a log. Cut into 12 slices (or 9 like I did this time) using unflavored dental floss or clear fishing line. See blog post for photo and explanation.
- Repeat with the other ball of dough and remaining filling.
- Grease a 9x13 pan and include parchment paper with overhang if you’d like to remove the rolls from the pan easier.
- Arrange in the pan and cover. Proof for one hour.
- Make the icing
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese for 2-3 minutes (or until no lumps remain). Add the room temperature butter and beat 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and salt. Beat to combine.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat to combine. Set aside.
- Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Uncover rolls and bake for 23-25 minutes. They should be lightly browned. The internal temperature should be 188°F.
- Remove the rolls and let cool for 5 minutes before spreading the frosting all over the tops. Serve rolls warm.
Notes
- If you do not have unflavored dental floss or fishing line, a sharp knife will also work to slice the rolls.
- These rolls are best served warm but they will stay soft for a few days — which is why this recipe is so great!
