Recipe: Giant Cinnamon Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting

GIANT CINNAMON ROLL

"If you've never made a breakfast pastry, this would be a great first one to try. Because if a regular cinnamon roll is awesome, this one beats the world."



FOR THE DOUGH:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing the pan
2 cups whole milk. warm to the touch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
FOR THE FILLING:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
FOR THE FROSTING:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Generously butter a 10-inch (25.5 cm) cast iron skillet or cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, melted butter, and granulated sugar. The mixture should be just warm, registering between 100 and 110 degrees F (40C). If hotter than that, allow to cool slightly before proceeding. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the warm mixture and let sit for 1 minute.

Add 4 cups of the flour to the milk mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, the dough should have nearly doubled in size. Remove the towel and add an additional 3/4 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Stir well, then turn out onto a well-floured surface. Knead the dough lightly, adding additional flour as necessary, until the dough just loses its stickiness and does not stick to the surface.

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. Fix corners to make sure they are sharp and even.



In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients and stir to combine. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough, spreading right to the edges. Using a pizza cutter, make 3 horizontal cuts to divide the dough into 4 long, evenly sized strips. Starting from the bottom, roll the first strip up right to left. Take the first roll and place it back on top of the next strip, starting again on the right side and rolling up right to left, building on the first. Continue with the remaining strips until you have a giant cinnamon roll.

Place the giant cinnamon roll in the prepared skillet or cake pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and leave to rise for 30 minutes. The cinnamon roll should expand to the edges of the pan during this time.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160C).

Uncover the cinnamon roll and bake for 45 minutes. Cover the roll with foil to prevent the outside from burning, and bake for an additional 35 minutes.

While the cinnamon roll is baking, prepare the frosting. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.

Remove the cinnamon roll from the oven and let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes. Once cool, remove from the pan and drizzle the frosting over the roll before serving.

Makes 12 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: Tasty Latest & Greatest by Buzzfeed, Inc.