Soft Cinnamon Rolls from Brioche Dough with Frosting
·Making the brioche dough base
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, vanilla sugar, cardamom, salt and honey. Pour in the warm milk mixed with cream, and add the L-size eggs. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, bring it together into a rough, sticky dough (about 5 minutes).
Kneading and adding the butter
Now start adding the softened butter, a cube at a time. Once it's all incorporated, knead for a further 7-10 minutes, until the dough is perfectly smooth, glossy and elastic.
First proving of the dough
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl and brush the surface with a little oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough prove in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
Making the cinnamon filling
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg, caramel and a pinch of salt. Stir until you have a smooth, fragrant paste.
Rolling out and filling the dough
Roll out the proved dough into a square, roughly 35 x 35 cm. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the whole surface, leaving just a small strip bare along the edge you'll be rolling towards - this will give the rolls a neat finish.
Rolling, cutting and second prove
Grease a baking dish with butter and dust with flour. Roll the dough up tightly and use a piece of strong thread to cut it into equal-sized rolls - I'd actually recommend cutting them a bit thicker than shown in the video, as the rolls will end up taller and fluffier. Arrange them in the greased dish, cover, and leave to prove for another 45 minutes.
Baking until golden
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the dish of rolls into the hot oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until beautifully golden on top. Once baked, let them cool slightly in the dish before transferring to a wire rack.
The perfect cream cheese frosting
Prepare the frosting. In a bowl, beat the softened butter with the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the rolls while they're still warm, but not piping hot.