Orange Cinnamon Rolls

These Orange Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect twist on the classic breakfast staple. They’re sweet and fluffy with the most delicious orange flavor. Orange juice and orange zest are added to the dough and more orange zest is sprinkled on top of the cream cheese frosting. Their cinnamon sugar filling works well with their citrus flavor and their cream cheese frosting adds just the right amount of tang.

These rolls have three components: the orange flavored dough, the cinnamon sugar filling, and the cream cheese frosting.

You’ll work on making the dough first which will take about two hours to rise: part of which is before the rolls are formed and part of which is after. The filling comes together the fastest since it is just brown sugar and cinnamon and the cream cheese icing can be put together once the rolls start to bake.

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED.

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Egg: You want to make sure that the egg is at room temperature to ensure that it is properly incorporated into your dough. If you forget to leave it out before you start baking, place it in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until it becomes room temperature.

• Measuring Your Ingredients:I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.

• Oven Temperature:Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

• Check out My Favorite Baking Tools to see what I use when I bake.

Now let’s bake! You’ll first get started on the orange cinnamon roll dough. Warm the milk in a small bowl until it reaches 105-110.º Sprinkle yeast on top and whisk together. Set aside for 10 minutes until it starts to look foamy. If the mixture does not foam, start over with a new packet of yeast.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt together. Slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, followed by the orange juice, melted butter and egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix on low-medium speed until the dough starts to stick together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a little more flour at this point.

Once dough starts to stick to the paddle, switch out the paddle for the hook attachment and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should be tacky but not sticky. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and gently place in bowl, flipping the dough over to coat the top of it as well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise for one hour, until it has doubled in size.

Once you’re dough has rested for an hour, coat a 13 x 9 inch pan or a 9″ round pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. To prepare the filling, whisk the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a flat rectangle that’s about 12 x 18 inches. Using a pastry brush, carefully coat the top of the dough with melted butter, except for an inch border at the top. Spoon cinnamon sugar onto dough and spread around evenly, except for that same inch border at the top.

With the long side of the dough closest to you, carefully roll up the dough into a tight log. When you have reached the other end, pinch the seam of the roll by pressing down to ensure that it is sealed. Gently cut the log into 12 large rolls with a serrated knife. Do your best not to flatten them as you cut down by cutting them in a sawing motion.

Arrange rolls in pan, cover in plastic wrap, and let them rise for another hour. While the rolls rise, preheat oven to 350º F and remove cream cheese from the fridge for it to soften. Once rolls have risen, bake them for 30-35 minutes. Let rolls cool completely on a cooling rack.

While the rolls bake, mix the cream cheese on low in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until it is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar and milk, mixing on medium low until it is smooth. Drizzle the icing over the rolls and spread out until all rolls are evenly covered. Top with orange zest.

These rolls are best served fresh. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for several days. They can be reheated slightly in the microwave or oven. I recommend only frosting the rolls as you eat them. If you have leftover rolls, keep the rest of the icing in an airtight container and add to the rolls once you heat them up as leftovers.

Orange Cinnamon Rolls

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These Orange Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect twist on the classic breakfast staple. They’re sweet and fluffy with the most delicious orange flavor. Orange juice and orange zest are added to the dough and more orange zest is sprinkled on top of the cream cheese frosting. Their cinnamon sugar filling works well with their citrus flavor and their cream cheese frosting adds just the right amount of tang.

• Author: Marisa Guerra
• Prep Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings
• Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 113 grams (1/2 cup) milk
• 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) rapid rise or active dry yeast
• 510 grams (4 1/4 cups) flour
• 49 grams (1/4 cup) sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 125 grams (1/2 cup) orange juice
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg, room temperature
• Zest of one orange, about 1 tbsp

Filling

• 213 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 113 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp orange zest, for topping

Instructions

Orange Cinnamon Roll Dough

1. Warm milk in a small bowl until it reaches 105-110.º Sprinkle yeast on top and whisk together. Set aside for 10 minutes until it starts to look foamy. If the mixture does not foam, start over with a new packet of yeast.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt together.
3. Slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, followed by the orange juice, melted butter, egg and zest.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix on low-medium speed until the dough starts to stick together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a little more flour at this point.
5. Once dough starts to stick to the paddle, switch out the paddle for the hook attachment and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should be tacky but not sticky.
6. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and gently place in bowl, flipping the dough over to coat the top of it as well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise for one hour, until it has doubled in size.

Assembly

1. Coat a 13 x 9 inch pan or a 9″ round pan with cooking spray and line with parchment.
2. To prepare the filling, whisk the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a flat rectangle that’s about 12 x 18 inches. Using a pastry brush, carefully coat the top of the dough with melted butter, except for an inch border at the top.
4. Spoon cinnamon sugar onto dough and spread around evenly, except for that same inch border at the top.
5. With the long side of the dough closest to you, carefully roll up the dough into a tight log. When you have reached the other end, pinch the seam of the roll by pressing down to ensure that it is sealed.
6. Gently cut the log into 12 large rolls with a serrated knife. Do your best not to flatten them as you cut down by cutting them in a sawing motion.
7. Arrange rolls in pan, cover in plastic wrap, and let them rise for another hour. While the rolls rise, preheat oven to 350º F and remove cream cheese from the fridge for it to soften.
8. Once rolls have risen, bake them for 30-35 minutes.
9. Let rolls cool completely on a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Icing

1. While the rolls bake, mix the cream cheese on low in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until it is smooth.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar and milk, mixing on medium low until it is smooth.
3. Drizzle the icing over the rolls and spread out until all rolls are evenly covered. Top with orange zest.
4. Enjoy!

Notes

• Rolls are best served fresh. Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for several days. Rolls can be reheated slightly in the microwave or oven.
• I recommend only frosting the rolls as you eat them. If you have leftover rolls, keep the rest of the icing in an airtight container in the fridge and add to the rolls once you heat them up as leftovers.

Keywords: orange, cinnamon rolls, breakfast