Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Chai Frosting
Make incredibly delicious apple cinnamon rolls with cream cheese chai frosting using this easy-to-follow recipe.
Make incredibly delicious apple cinnamon rolls with cream cheese chai frosting using this easy-to-follow recipe.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (i like to use red star platinum)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup whole warm milk
- 3-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 stick butter at room temperature
- 4 honeycrisp apples chopped
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamon
- Carbohydrate 12.0008530260247 g
- Cholesterol 70.0786960514143 mg
- Fat 25.4346148874538 g
- Fiber 0.417730544684562 g
- Protein 1.23564194335621 g
- Saturated Fat 15.6908334874679 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (62g)
- Sodium 189.509912389328 mg
- Sugar 11.5831224813402 g
- Trans Fat 2.20682215720797 g
- Calories 276 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the dough. Place the yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar into a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Add the warm water and gently stir. Let sit until yeast has doubled and is puffed and foamy on top, about 10 minutes. To the bowl add the melted butter, warm milk and egg, stir to combine. Add in the flour and salt. Knead the dough with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and forms a ball, about 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and oil the bowl or use cooking spray. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add the apples and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Cook, stirring often until the apples are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Add the sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and mix well.
- Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 9×24 inches). Spread the 5 tablespoons of butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the butter and lightly push the cinnamon sugar into the butter. Evenly sprinkle the apples over the dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. Place dental floss or a thin piece of string (do it, it works so well!) under the roll where you want to cut. Mine are usually about 3/4 to 1 inch thick, but vary. Take the ends of the floss in each hand and wrap them around the roll. Keeping the ends of the floss in each hand (don’t let go) tighten the floss so it starts to cut through the roll. Again, don’t change hands. Tighten until the floss comes out and the individual roll is separated. You can make eight larger rolls OR 10-12 smaller rolls. Place rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Just before baking, brush the remaining 2 tablespoons butter on top of the rolls. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, all-spice, ginger, and cardamon and beat until combined. Spread the frosting on warm rolls. EAT!
What happens to rich, butter-heavy enriched dough pastries once they sit on the counter overnight? Hardening starches cause yeast breads to stale rapidly at room temperature, losing the moisture that makes freshly baked dough tender. Understanding how to handle these sweet rolls after day one ensures every single portion retains its softness. Honeycrisp apples maintain structural integrity well during initial baking, but their moisture content requires specific handling to prevent soggy leftovers. Three distinct approaches govern the management, preservation, and revitalization of these spiced treats.
Storage Mechanics and Moisture Control
Leaving frosted rolls exposed to ambient air dries out the outer spiral within hours. Transfer cooled pastries to an airtight glass container lined with parchment paper to trap remaining internal moisture without creating condensation zones. Cream cheese frosting contains dairy fats that spoil at room temperature past twenty-four hours, mandating refrigeration if any portions remain unconsumed by the end of the first day. Chilling solidifies the butter and cream cheese components significantly.The Reheating Restoration Process
Cold pastry straight from the refrigerator tastes dense because solidified butter coats the palate and mutes the cardamom and ginger spices. Microwave individual chilled rolls on medium power for twenty to thirty seconds, or place them in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for eight minutes until the crumb relaxes. This thermal application melts the crystallized fats inside the dough matrix, restoring the softness achieved during the initial 25-minute bake time.Pitfalls of Over-Baking and Over-Mixing
Dry dough remains the primary flaw in enriched baking projects. Adding excessive flour during the initial 5-minute kneading phase prevents the gluten network from stretching properly around the melted butter and whole milk. Measure flour by weight or spoon it gently into the measuring cup rather than packing it down. Watch the yeast foam during the initial 10-minute proofing stage; inactive yeast results in a dense crumb that no amount of caramelized apple filling can rescue.
