Description
The perfect, quick and easy spiced cinnamon rolls, topped with a sweet cream cheese icing!
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 1/2 C flour
- 1 heaping tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 C whole milk
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
Filling:
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves, nutmeg, & allspice
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
Icing:
- 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter. Grease a round 9″ cake pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the flour through the salt. Stir to incorporate. Stir together the milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter in a liquid measuring cup. Pour the milk/butter mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until a wet dough forms.
- Lightly dust a countertop with flour and turn the dough out onto the counter. Press the dough together and knead only two or three times (don’t overwork the dough!). Press the dough out into an 8″x10″ rectangle with your hands.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of the melted butter across the top of the dough and gently spread with a spatula. Mix together the filling ingredients with a fork and spread evenly across the dough, slightly pressing to help it adhere.
- Roll the rectangle into a 10″ log, pinching the end to seal. Use a dough scraper or knife to cut the rectangle into 8 even pieces. Place the cinnamon roll pieces in the prepared pan, starting with one piece in the center, and the remaining 7 pieces around the sides. Drizzle any remaining butter on top of the cinnamon rolls.
- Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, mix together the icing. Whisk the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk together in a small bowl. Add additional milk, a tablespoon at a time, until a desired consistency is reached.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate and drizzling on the icing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.
TO MAKE AHEAD & BAKE NEXT DAY ::
Follow the recipe to prepare the cinnamon rolls up to putting them in the pan. (Don’t bake at all). Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the baking pan from the refrigerator and let stand on the counter for 10-15 minutes until it comes to room temp. Bake in preheated oven as directed and finish with icing.
TO MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZE ::
Make the cinnamon rolls as directed and bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven to let them rise. After ten minutes, remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely. Cover and freeze.
When you are ready to eat the cinnamon rolls, take the pan from freezer and heat the oven to 425. Cook for 20 minutes in hot oven, then continue with icing.