Soft Cinnamon Rolls from Brioche Dough with Icing
·Brioche dough base
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, vanilla sugar, cardamom, salt and honey. Pour in the warm milk mixed with cream, and add the L-sized egg. Using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer, briefly bring everything together into a rough, sticky dough (about 5 minutes).
Kneading and adding the butter
Start adding the softened butter gradually, a cube at a time. Once it's all incorporated, knead for another 7–10 minutes, until the dough is perfectly smooth, glossy and elastic.
First rise
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and brush the surface lightly with oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, until it has doubled in size.
Making the cinnamon filling
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix the softened butter with brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg, caramel and a pinch of salt. Stir until you get a smooth, fragrant paste.
Rolling out and filling the dough
Roll out the risen dough, ideally into a square about 35 × 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 help the rolls seal neatly.
Rolling, cutting and second rise
Grease a baking dish with butter and dust with flour. Roll the dough up tightly and use a length of strong thread to cut it into equal rolls — I'd actually recommend cutting them a bit larger than shown in the video, as the rolls will end up taller and fluffier. Arrange them in the greased dish, cover, and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Baking to golden perfection
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Place the dish with the 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, then transfer to a wire rack.
Perfect cream cheese icing
Prepare the icing. In a bowl, beat the softened butter with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy. Spread the icing over the rolls while they're still warm, but not piping hot.