Cinnabon Rolls

In a bowl, combine the egg, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt, and whisk briefly.

Pour in the milk, warmed just until slightly warm to the touch, and whisk to combine.

Mix 300 g of flour with the yeast, then add it to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir vigorously until smooth. I used instant dry yeast, which should be mixed directly into the flour. If you're using active dry yeast, activate it according to the package directions.

Add the softened butter and mix until fully incorporated.

Lightly flour your work surface, turn the dough out, and knead gently, gradually adding the remaining flour. The dough should be very soft and pliable — it can even stay slightly sticky. I used 450 g of flour total, but you may need a little more or less. A softer, stickier dough is harder to work with, but the rolls it produces are tastier, more tender, and fluffier, so try not to add too much flour.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and place in a warm spot for 30–60 minutes, or until it has risen two to three times in size.

Here's how I create a warm spot — I turn the oven on for just 1–2 minutes to warm it up, then immediately turn it off. You can also place the dough near a radiator, or set the bowl in a larger bowl of warm water, etc.

For the filling, mix the sugar and cinnamon together.

Turn the risen dough out onto the counter, dusting with flour if needed (I rolled it out on a silicone mat so I didn't need any flour). Roll it out into a large thin sheet about 5–7 mm thick — I rolled mine to the full size of my mat (38x48 cm). Straighten the edges with your fingers to form an even rectangle.

Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top, spreading it with your palm, and leave a strip of about 2 cm along the far edge uncoated.

Roll the dough into a log as tightly as possible.

Cut the log into 12 pieces (each about 4 cm wide). You can use a thin sharp knife or dental floss to avoid squishing the layers.

Place the rolls cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place in a warm spot for 20–40 minutes (I used a barely warm oven again). The rolls should increase noticeably in size. Then transfer the baking sheet to an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for about 20–25 minutes, or until lightly golden (don't overbake).

While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream in a bowl and beat briefly with a hand mixer. If you don't have cream cheese, you can make a sour cream glaze instead — just use thick, full-fat sour cream and beat it with the powdered sugar. You could also use a thin pastry cream. The flavor will be different, of course, but it will still be delicious without a doubt.

Remove the finished rolls from the oven.

Right away, without delay, generously spread the frosting over the hot rolls. You can serve them immediately, hot or warm — that's exactly how they do it at the Cinnabon locations mentioned above — but these rolls are also wonderful once fully cooled (I actually prefer them that way, though they're delicious either way).

Here's what the Cinnabon rolls look like on the inside.

Store the rolls in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container (you can warm them briefly in the microwave before eating). These irresistible Cinnabon rolls with cinnamon and cream cheese frosting are sure to win over everyone who tries them. They're incredibly fragrant, tender, and just unbelievably delicious!