Soft, fluffy yeast dough is swirled around a sticky orange and cardamom filling and topped with a tangy cream cheese glaze for these sticky orange rolls. Make them for a special weekend breakfast or a holiday brunch!
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Rise Time 2 hourshours
Total Time 2 hourshours55 minutesminutes
Servings 12rolls
Ingredients
Orange Roll Dough:
¾cupmilkwarmed to about 100°F or warm but not hot on the inside of your wrist
In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes. Using the paddle attachment, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour until well combined. Stir in the salt, cardamom, and orange zest. Add in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable. Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until nearly doubled, about an hour.
Make the filling:
In a small bowl, mix the sugars with the cardamom and ginger, then work in the orange zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles wet, soft sand. Stir in the orange juice.
Make the rolls:
Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 10x15 inches. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, then pour and spread half of the orange-sugar mixture over the top, leaving about 1 inch around the edges. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the bottom long end. This will get messy, as some of the orange filling will leak out – that’s ok.
Cut the roll into 12 even pieces and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the rest of the orange filling over the top of the rolls. (If desired, use a bench scraper to scoop up any of the filling that leaked out while rolling and cutting the rolls and add that to the pan as well.)
Lightly cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats.)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until golden on top and a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and juice and blend until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.
When the rolls are done, spread them with the cream cheese glaze. Serve while warm.
Notes
Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.Helpful resources: