Turn breakfast into a special occasion with these easy no-knead cinnamon rolls with cardamom apricot cream cheese frosting. The creamy topping pairs perfectly with the crunchy cinnamon filling and really makes these rolls special. Make them for a Holiday brunch, a birthday or simply just because.

A new take on classic cream cheese frosting:
The flavors in this frosting were inspired by my lemon cardamom cake. The combination of cardamom and fruit is a great one and I wanted do a variation of that here. Actual lemon would have been too harsh and intense so I looked for milder flavors. I tested different fruit preserves and the sweet, tart and floral flavor of apricot worked like magic. It's the perfect match for the citrusy cardamom and together the two ingredients take this frosting from regular to gourmet.

Full Recipe

Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Method:
- Add yeast, kosher salt and honey to a large bowl.¾ teaspoon granulated yeast*, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons honey

- Pour the water into the bowl and whisk everything together. Let sit for a couple of minutes until the mix starts to foam.7 tablespoons warm water (around 90 degrees F.)

- Whisk egg and butter into the mix.1 large egg, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

- Mix in flour using a firm plastic spatula, a spoon or your hands. Make sure to mix the dough well so that no pockets or clumps of flour remain.1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

- Cover the bowl, set it in a warm place and let the dough rise for 2 hours.

- Use the dough right away or transfer into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

- When you're ready to bake the rolls, grease a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.
- Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour.
- Roll the dough out thinly into a 14-inch by 10-inch rectangle. (If the dough was refrigerated, use it straight out of the fridge.) Set aside to make the filling.

- Melt butter in a saucepan, then add both sugars and cinnamon.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, packed, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- Cook the mix, whisking continuously, until you get a bubbly paste. Let cool a bit.

- Using an offset spatula or a rubber spatula, spread the filling onto the dough all the way out to the edges.

- Roll up the dough into a log (from the long end).

- Cut into 8 pieces using a serrated knife.

- Set the rolls into the pie pan (spiral up), leaving space in between each of them.

- Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap, then let them rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (The rolls should be touching each other after the rise. If they aren't, let them rise a little longer.)

- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls until they are starting to brown on the edges (25 to 30 minutes).
- Whip together cream cheese, butter, cardamom and apricot preserves until fluffy.3 ounces full-fat block cream cheese**, softened, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
- Whip in powdered sugar.½ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- Spread the frosting onto the rolls and serve immediately. (If you're planning to store some of the rolls, don't put the frosting on. Instead, store the rolls and the frosting separately.)
Recipe notes:
How to store the rolls:
- These rolls are best served fresh but you can loosely cover any unfrosted rolls with plastic wrap. Keep them at room temperature for up to 1 day. Keep the frosting refrigerated.
- As for rolls that are already frosted, transfer those into an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Let the rolls come back up to room temperature before serving.
How to freeze the dough:
- After the initial 2-hour rise, transfer the dough into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. When you're ready to use the dough, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition (estimate only):
More breakfast sweets you might like:
- For more cardamom and cinnamon pastry flavors, check out these cardamom donuts with cinnamon sugar topping.
- For a great citrus-flavored glaze for cinnamon rolls, check out this spiced orange cream cheese glaze.
- For something with warm spices try this spiced banana nut bread.


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