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bird's eye view of orange roll recipe.

Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Elien Lewis
These fluffy orange cinnamon rolls are soft and gooey, scented with fresh orange flavor, and topped with a tangy orange cream cheese frosting.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 425 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Dough

  • 180 g whole milk
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 530 g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 60 g fresh orange juice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 85 g butter, softened to room temperature

Filling

  • 55 g softened butter
  • 100 g soft brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon orange zest finely grated
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Frosting

  • 113 g block style cream cheese, room temperature
  • 30 g butter, softened to room temperature
  • 180 g confectioners sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon orange zest finely grated
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the warm milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy; if using instant yeast, this step can be skipped. 180 g whole milk, 50 g granulated sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
  • Add the flour, orange juice, eggs, zest, and salt to the yeast mixture. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and mix until a thick dough forms. 530 g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting, 60 g fresh orange juice, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons orange zest, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Add the softened butter, a few cubes at a time. Keep mixing on medium speed for around 10 minutes until the dough is soft and strong and passes the windowpane test. 85 g butter, softened to room temperature

Kneading by hand

  • Alternatively, knead the dough by hand. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy ball. Pull it onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few cubes at a time in the butter.
  • Knead by hand for around 10 minutes until it becomes an elastic and smooth dough. If you need a break, let the dough rest for 10 minutes and return to it.

First rise

  • Once kneaded, form the soft dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 1 to 1 ½ hours. The total time will depend on your room temperature. The dough can also be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours.

Filling

  • With an electric mixer, beat softened butter, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and cardamom in a medium bowl into a creamy paste. 55 g softened butter, 100 g soft brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon orange zest, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Shaping

  • Grease or line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Punch down the risen dough, then pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour. (Note: if the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff.)
  • Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large 12x16-inch rectangle  (30cm x 40 cm).
  • Add the orange-cinnamon mixture and use an offset spatula to spread it out.
  • Roll the dough up, starting from the longest side up the top, into a jelly-roll style log. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using unflavored dental floss for extra clean cuts or a serrated knife.
  • Place the rolls into the prepared pan. Cover the pan and let the rolls have their second rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C.
  • Bake the rolls in the oven for 25-28 minutes until golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls loosely with aluminum foil. 

Orange Frosting

  • While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. 113 g block style cream cheese, room temperature, 30 g butter, softened to room temperature
  • Add the confectioners' sugar, orange zest, orange juice and salt. Beat on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then switch to high and beat until creamy. 180 g confectioners sugar, 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice, 1 Tablespoon orange zest, Pinch of salt
  • Let the baked buns cool for 20 minutes, then spread on the orange icing. Top with a bit of extra orange zest. 

Notes

Both metric and US customary measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 319mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29g
Keyword cinnamon, Orange, Rolls
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