HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE ICING

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (includes rising time)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 (250ml) cup full cream milk, warm
• 2/3  cup brown sugar
• 2 packets yeast (1 standard pack= 10g)
• 115g butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ½ cups cake flour

For the filling

• 50g butter, softened and at room temp.
• 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, combined in a small bowl

For the icing

• ½ cup of cream cheese
• ½ teaspoon vanilla paste/ 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons cream or full cream milk
• pinch of salt

Method

1. Whisk the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook/paddle attachment. Cover the mixture with a cloth and let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. On medium speed beat in the remaining sugar and the butter until it’s slightly broken up (it will not mix in completely). Then turn the mixer down to low speed and mix in the flour 1 cup at a time, letting it combine completely before adding in the next. Then allow the dough to beat for about 3 minutes until it starts to pull away from the bowl. About 4 minutes. Knead the dough on a floured surface for an additional 3 minutes (or knead it using the mixer). The dough will be soft.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover, then allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours/ until doubled in size. Once risen punch down the dough then roll it into a rectangle (do not roll it too thin) spread butter over the surface of the dough then sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Tightly roll into a log then cut into even-sized rolls using a sharp knife. 
4. Arrange the rolls in your skillet then cover and place in a warm place to rise for an hour or until doubled in size. Then bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 25-28 minutes.
5. For the icing beat the cream cheese and vanilla until soft. Add the sugar, salt and cream and whisk until smooth.
6. Pour icing over the warm rolls and enjoy.