Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
I love, love, LOVE cinnamon rolls. They are absolutely one of my favorite things to make at home. Name one thing that smells and tastes better than a warm cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven, slathered with melty gooey cream cheese frosting. I don’t think there’s anything in existance that sounds better than that!
Of course you guys already know of my love of cinnamon rolls. After all, I have blogged about an overnight cinnamon roll recipe, cinnamon roll cupcakes, cinnamon roll monkey bread, and of course the shortcut version – cinnamon roll bread. I even made pumpkin cinnamon rolls last winter too!
But all of those can easily be forgotten by this recipe I’m posting today. I’m declaring this my go-to cinnamon roll recipe. I’m not trying any other recipes out there, because these guys come out so tender and pillow-ey with a super cinnamon-ey filling. Basically, they’re exactly what I’m looking for in a cinnamon roll.
To make things even better, you don’t need to use a mixer. I realize that could be a downfall in some people’s eyes. But sometimes it’s nice to do things with your hands and a wooden spoon.
I’m sure many of you guys have seen this recipe before. It’s from the Pioneer Woman. When she makes it, it yields something crazy like 50 cinnamon rolls. I guess when you live on a ranch, you might have a need for 50 cinnamon rolls. I live in a 750 sq-ft condo with Hubby. We definitely don’t need 50 cinnamon rolls in our house. So I cut the recipe in half. That still gave us about 24 cinnamon rolls. But I baked them on a Sunday and sent the rest of them to work with Hubby. (Although I have to admit, I regretted not sneaking one into my lunchbag a few hours later when I was sitting at my desk craving a cinnamon roll).
One Year Ago: Family Favorites Cookbook Two Years Ago: Breakfast Pizza Three Years Ago: Blueberry Lemon Basil Cupcakes and Stuffed Strawberries
Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: 24 cinnamon rolls
Ingredients:
For the Dough
2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
4 cup flour
1/2 cup flour
1/2 heaping tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp salt
For the Filling
1 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon
Directions:
Mix whole milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald to 150 degrees. Let cool until lukewarm (~45 minutes). Sprinkle in yeast and let sit. Then add 4 C flour, stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for one hour.
Add 1/2 C flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the dough. Stir mixture together.
Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle surface generously with flour and form into a rectangle, roll the dough thin, maintaining a rectangular shape. Drizzle melted butter over dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough toward you. Pinch the seam to seal it. Grease foil cake or pie pans. Cut rolls 3/4 to 1 inch thick and lay in greased pans. Repeat with other half of dough.
Cover the rolls and let sit for 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 15 to 18 minutes.
Generously drizzle cream cheese frosting over warm rolls after they come out of the oven.
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Hm…domes…good for cupcakes, sorta annoying for layer cakes. 🙂
I wonder if you bumped up the baking temperature a bit, if the cupcakes would have a more dramatic rise? Obviously you’d need to reduce the baking time…but you knew that. 😉
It doesn’t look like any of the white cakes I’ve made in cupcake form have had a nicely domed top, but Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake was the most rounded. It’s a great tasting cake too.
Go-tos are ALWAYS good to find. I’m going to have to try these because I am still on the lookout for a go-to white cake. They look awesome!
These look awesome! I understand your desire for that perfect dome, though.
I’m happy to have one for chocolate cake, but I wish I had more go-tos! I think part of my problem is that I rarely repeat things. I just keep trekking down that endless “to bake” list of mine… Haha
Oh my word! You sound like me talking about “go to” recipes. That is my quest in life…well, in baking anyway. AND white cake is one that I have NOT found a “go to” recipe for and believe me, I have been searching for years. Literally. I also came across Bridgette’s blog where she did the white cake comparisons and I forget which one I chose to make, but I did not care for the results at all. Sigh. I was disappointed because I was certain that I would no longer have to search. I’m still at it. I also agree with you on the dome part. I definitely want my cupcakes to have a dome on them and if they don’t, I consider them a failure – no matter how good they taste. I’m kind of obsessed with the whole doming aspect.
Well, it looks like you have possibly found your “go to” white cake recipe. I guess I will keep searching. Your look amazing. Seriously – I feel like reaching through my computer screen and eating that cupcake that you have cut in half. Yummy!
Good post! Thanks for sharing.
These are beautiful! I also like domed cupcakes, but it never works out that way.
This recipe is my go-to for white cake, too!! I’m so happy to see someone else post about it.
I love the crumb on those!
You might try starting your cupcakes at about 25 degrees more than usual, then when they just start to doom, reduce the temp back down. This has worked for me when I have had a flat top type batter.
I have always had a similar problem so I thought i would do some searching and came upon this comment…
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603740-.html
Give it a try and let us know if it works!
-Vanessa
i found it, this is my go to white cupcake recipe. even tho they dont rise like i would like i have been searching and searching for months for a white base cupcake. i took this recipe and made from it a chai cupcake with cardamom whipped cream frosting. it was amazing!!!! now am trying a peaches and cream cupcake, am a little concerned, it was very wet. we will see may need to cut some of the milk. thanks!!!!!!
i found it, this is my go to white cupcake recipe. even tho they dont rise like i would like i have been searching and searching for months for a white base cupcake. i took this recipe and made from it a chai cupcake with cardamom whipped cream frosting. it was amazing!!!! now am trying a peaches and cream cupcake, am a little concerned, it was very wet. we will see may need to cut some of the milk. thanks!!!!!!
Is this beaten or unbeaten egg whites? Thanks!
where is the recipe for the buttercream?
beantownbaker — March 13th, 2013 @ 8:50 pm
Here is the recipe for the buttercream
Hello. I found your site off pinterest in a continuing search for the perfect white cake. I have possibly a very strange question, and i’m hoping you can help guide me here. I’m doing a birthday cake for my husband and my daughter, and I’m making it a flag inside (red and white layers w/ a blue center circle). my husband loves red velvet, so i’m hoping to do that for the red layers, but i’m having a hard time figuring out the perfect mix of flavors to do the white layers? would this recipe mix well w/ red velvet?
beantownbaker — October 8th, 2013 @ 7:07 pm
I think this recipe would go great with red velvet. I love the idea of a flag cake, although I’ve never made one myself.
My first cake made from scratch and this recipe made it a success. Super happy with the results. Thank you!
beantownbaker — November 11th, 2013 @ 9:09 pm
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Great job in taking on the challenge of making a cake from scratch.
Hi! I found this recipe whilst searching for one to make a purple ombre layer cake for my best friend’s birthday. However, I am from the UK and whilst having US measuring cups, I don’t really know what cake flour is? I’m sorry if this sounds ridiculous but we don’t have it over here! Can I use Plain Flour instead as the recipe includes a raising agent? And is it the cake flour that gives the cake its white colour? Please help! Kindest regards, Naomi x
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2014 @ 7:20 pm
The white color of the cake comes from the fact that there are no egg yolks in the recipe. I have never substituted anything for cake flour, but here is what Joy the Baker has to say about it: http://joythebaker.com/2013/12/baking-101-the-best-cake-flour-substitute/
Hi, I’m baking a bday cake for my sis and I’m attempting to make the purple ombré cake too. Will be using the white cake recipe. Just wondering
1. Can I still use the same 24 cupcakes quantity to make 3 layers of 6″ round cakes?
2. Would the cake be still moist if I bake the cake 1 day ahead?
Thank u so much!