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Cinnamon Rolls with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 14 rolls
Author: Four to Cook For

Ingredients

  • DOUGH
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1 package 1/4 oz active yeast
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided
  • CRUMBLE FILLING
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened, plus additional 1/4 cup softened stick for spreading
  • CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice about two lemons
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Microwave the mike for 45-60 seconds.
  • In a large bowl, pour in the milk and yeast. Stir until dissolved.
  • Add sugar, butter and mix well. Then, add salt and eggs. Mix well again. Add the 4 cups of flour a bit at a time until all is well combined, reserving the last 1/2 cup of flour.
  • Hand-kneed the dough on a flat, lightly floured surface. Knead into a large ball for about 8 minutes until it goes from gummy, to smooth. Add as much of the reserved 1/2 cup of flour that you can while kneading.
  • Let the dough do a first rise. Put it a large bowl that has been sprayed with cooking oil and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.
  • Put it in a warm, draft-free place and let it rise until it is doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. (My technique: I turn on the oven, and place my hands against the side of the oven. When it gets too hot to touch--about 1 minute of warm up--I turn off and place the dough in the oven to rise.)
  • Once the dough has risen, make the filling. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup unsalted butter that has been softened in a small bowl and mix well. Mixture will be crumbly. Set aside.
  • Prep the counter with some sprinkled flour and roll out the dough ball until it is roughly 16" x 21" rectangle and about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of softened butter over the dough. Then, sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon crumble mixture evenly over all the dough.
  • Roll up the dough, starting with the longer side and cut into 14 cinnamon rolls.
  • Place cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 9x11 (3 quart) glass baking dish. They might not exactly touch, but that is okay because they will expand during the second rise and while they are baking.
  • Let the rolls do a second rise. Cover with aluminum foil, and place in a warm, draft free area to rise until nearly doubled, which should take about 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the cinnamon rolls until they are golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. The dough should still be soft, though fully cooked towards the center of the roll.
  • While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Using a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt until fluffy and combined.
  • When rolls are finished, you'll need to turn them over. Do this by taking a baking sheet just larger than the baking dish with the rolls, and line it with parchment paper. Using dish towels, turn the baking sheet (and parchment paper), upside down over the rolls and quickly flip over so that the rolls are deposited on the baking sheet, upside down. Remove the baking dish.
  • While the rolls are still warm, spoon a few big dollops of icing over the rolls and spread generously (using an offset spatula is best). You need to do this quickly so the heat of the rolls melts the icing.
  • Let cool a little and serve with the extra frosting. (There should be about a cup leftover.)
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Notes

Variations to explore! Can add cardamom and orange zest to the icing. Add a touch of bourbon to icing and top with chopped pecans for a southern twist.