Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 🥛Whole Milk, warm1 cup
• 🧪Active Dry Yeast2 tsp
• 🍯Granulated White Sugar, divided1 cup
• 🧈Unsalted Butter, softened, divided1 cup
• 🥚Large Eggs, room temperature2 egg
• 🫙Vanilla Extract, divided2 tsp
• 🌾All-Purpose Flour4 cup
• 🧪Instant Yeast, optional but helpful for a more reliable rise1 tbsp
• 🧂Cardamom (ground), divided2 tsp
• 🧂Cinnamon (ground), divided2 tbsp
• 🍯Brown Sugar (light), packed, divided1 cup
• 🍯Powdered Sugar2 cup
• 🥛Whole Milk, for glaze3 tbsp
• 🫙Vanilla Extract, for glaze1 tsp
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine)to taste

Contains Dairy, Eggs, Gluten. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Warm the milk

   Warm the Whole Milk in a small saucepan over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring gently, until it feels just warm and steamy but never hot on your finger. If it starts to smoke or form a skin, pull it off the heat and let it cool a moment so it does not kill the yeast.

   2 min
2. 2

   Whisk the Active Dry Yeast into the warm milk in a large mixing bowl with a little of the Granulated White Sugar.

3. 3

   Leave it alone for about 10 minutes. The mixture should turn foamy and smell lightly bready; if it stays flat and dull, the yeast may be old and you should start again before adding the rest of the dough ingredients.

   10 min
4. 4

   Make the enriched dough

   Whisk in the remaining Granulated White Sugar, the softened Unsalted Butter, the Large Eggs, the Vanilla Extract, the All-Purpose Flour, the Instant Yeast if you are using it, and the Kosher Salt until a shaggy dough forms. It should look sticky and rough at first, with no dry flour patches left at the bottom; if it feels soupy, add a little more flour and keep mixing.

   8 min
5. 5

   Knead until elastic

   Knead the dough on a lightly floured counter, pressing it forward with the heel of your hand and folding it back over itself for about 8 minutes, until it turns smooth and stretchy and springs back slowly when you poke it. If it tears instead of stretching, keep going a little longer; that is the gluten still developing.

   8 min
6. 6

   Let the dough rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the large mixing bowl, and cover it loosely so the surface does not dry out. Let it rise for about 60 minutes until it has doubled in size, looks puffy at the edges, and feels airy and jiggly when you tilt the bowl; if your kitchen is cool, it may need a little longer.

   60 min
7. 7

   Mix the filling

   Stir together the softened Unsalted Butter, the remaining Granulated White Sugar, the Brown Sugar, the Cardamom, and the Cinnamon in a small bowl until you have a thick, spreadable paste. It should smell warmly spiced and look like damp sand that holds together when pressed; if it seems runny, chill it briefly so it firms up before spreading.

   5 min
8. 8

   Punch down the risen dough and turn it onto a lightly floured counter.

9. 9

   Roll it into a large rectangle with steady strokes from the center outward. Aim for an even sheet about the thickness of a coin, with no thick corners or torn patches; if it shrinks back, let it rest for a few minutes and it will relax.

   6 min
10. 10

    Spread the filling over the dough in a thin, even layer, leaving a clean border along one long edge.

11. 11

    Roll it up tightly from the opposite side so the spiral stays neat. The log should feel snug and look evenly swirled, not loose or bulging; if the dough sticks, lift it gently with a scraper instead of tugging it thin.

    5 min
12. 12

    Cut the rolls

    Use a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss to slice the log into even rolls, keeping the motion clean so the spiral does not squash. Each cut piece should show a distinct swirl from edge to edge; if the log squashes, chill it for a few minutes and try again with a lighter touch.

    5 min
13. 13

    Pan the rolls

    Arrange the cut rolls cut-side down in the 9x13-inch baking dish, leaving a little space so they can expand toward each other as they prove. They should sit snugly but not jammed, and the swirls should still be visible from above; if one piece is lopsided, nudge it gently into a rounder shape before the second rise.

    5 min
14. 14

    Proof the rolls

    Cover the baking dish loosely and let the rolls rise for about 35 minutes until they look puffy, press gently into one another, and wobble like soft cushions when you nudge the dish. If they spring back immediately, give them more time; if they puff so much that the spirals start to blur, move them straight into the oven.

    35 min
15. 15

    Bake until bronzed

    Bake the rolls in the oven at 180°C/350°F for about 25 minutes, rotating the baking dish once halfway through so they colour evenly. They are done when the tops are deep golden, the filling is bubbling at the edges, and the centers feel set rather than wobbling; if the tops darken too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

    25 min
16. 16

    Whisk the glaze

    Whisk the Powdered Sugar, the remaining Whole Milk, and the remaining Vanilla Extract in a small bowl until smooth and glossy. It should pour in a thick ribbon off the whisk and disappear back into itself within a second or two; if it is too stiff, whisk in a little more milk, a drop at a time.

    4 min
17. 17

    Glaze and serve

    Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls in broad zigzags, letting it melt into the swirls and drip down the sides. Serve them while the tops are still tender and the glaze is shiny and slightly set; if you want extra gloss, add a second drizzle right before bringing them to the table.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving