Cinnamon rolls are one of my favourite things, and this recipe for orange cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting has to be right up there among the best of the best.

Since I was a teenager, it’s been a tradition for me to make cinnamon rolls for my birthday every year. Now, I find myself looking for more excuses to make them because there are just so many great ways to do it, and I want to try all the ways!! The only problem is that now I don’t have my parents and 11 siblings to help me eat all of them. At the moment I only have a few (little) children, and quite frankly the amount of cinnamon rolls I want to make… would definitely be unwise.

Still, my blog is a perfect excuse to make them… so in the coming year (as often as can be possibly reasonable), you can expect me to whip out a few more good cinnamon roll variations for your enjoyment.

Making an enriched dough with egg and butter

Cinnamon roll dough is made with an enriched dough, meaning that it contains the additions of egg and butter. These components make for a beautiful, soft, dough which is perfect for sweet breads of all kinds. One thing that is interesting to note is that the addition of egg, while it definitely makes a richer dough, can also cause the rolls to dry out faster once they are baked. When I was growing up, my mom always recommended that if you double a recipe, don’t double the egg– she found that her sweet breads stayed softer longer by leaving out extra egg, and I have found that to be true as well.

What’s the secret to great cinnamon rolls?

Not too much flour, to make the dough super-soft and fluffy; enough butter, and plenty of cinnamon. That, and a good slathering of cream cheese icing. In my opinion, Cinnabon style, that is the way to go.

Can this recipe be made into sourdough cinnamon rolls?

Absolutely! You can use my method on my Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipe to ferment the dough; just add orange zest to the dough, and use the filling in this recipe for the right flavour in the end.

Can these cinnamon rolls be made ahead of time?

Yes! I have included the method for making the night before in the recipe notes; this is one of my favourite ways to prepare ahead. I love making beautiful brunches feel like a piece of cake to whip together when I have these ready to bake fresh the morning of my event!

Occasions for fresh cinnamon rolls:

• Breakfast
• Birthdays
• Brunch
• Potlucks
• Fundraisers
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas morning
• …You name it! Cinnamon rolls are always a crowd pleaser, for any kind of event!

Print

Orange Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft as a cloud, these cinnamon buns are infused with orange and fluffy as a cloud with perfect cream cheese frosting on top.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian

Keyword breakfast, cinnamon, cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls, orange, orange cinnamon

Prep Time 3 hours

Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 Tbsp dry active yeast
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• ½ cup lukewarm milk
• ¼ cup butter softened
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• zest of 1/2 naval orange
• 3 cups flour (420g is perfect)

Filling:

• 1/3 c. butter softened
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• zest of 1/2 naval orange

Frosting:

• 1/4 c. butter softened
• 1/2 brick cream cheese softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 Tbsp milk or cream
• 2 cups icing sugar

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm water and milk. Allow to rest until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the butter, egg, sugar, salt, orange zest, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth, and then cover and let rise for 1 hour.

3. In a small mixing bowl, whip the filling ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

4. Roll the dough into a 9x13 rectangle, or just a little larger. Spread evenly with the filling mixture. Starting with the short side, roll the dough into a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 equal slices, and place them cut side up onto a 10"x25" baking pan lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart.

5. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rise for 35 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and allow the rolls to rest another 10 minutes while the oven heats (45 minutes total rising time).

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just golden. Cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and icing sugar; beat until the mixture comes together, and then add the milk or cream, 1 Tbsp at a time, until you have a good thick, smooth cream cheese frosting. Store in the refrigerator until use.

Recipe Notes

To Prepare These Rolls the Night Before:

1. Follow the recipe directions up to step 4, when your rolls have been placed on a parchment lined sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator overnight. 
2. The next morning, allow the rolls to rise 1-2 hours or until doubled, and then bake as directed above.

Some other recipes to check out:

• Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Sweet Vanilla Glaze

Used in this recipe:

Mixing bowls

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Zester
• Electric mixer
• Kitchenaid mixer (optional)
• A long, sharp knife
• Rolling pin
• Bench scraper
• Half sheet baking pan
• Parchment paper

What is your favourite cinnamon roll memory? How do you plan to serve this recipe? I’d love to hear it all.

Thanks for stopping in,

Naomi

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