Decadent King Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
A festive and indulgent twist on classic cinnamon rolls, inspired by traditional king cake flavors and topped with colorful sanding sugar and tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Mardi Gras, brunch, or any cozy gathering.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (4 cups / 480 grams)
- Granulated sugar (½ cup / 100 grams)
- Active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons or one packet)
- Whole milk (1 cup / 240 ml), warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- Unsalted butter (6 tablespoons / 85 grams), softened
- Large eggs (2), room temperature
- Salt (1 teaspoon)
- Brown sugar, packed (1 cup / 220 grams)
- Ground cinnamon (3 tablespoons)
- Ground nutmeg (¼ teaspoon)
- Ground cloves (⅛ teaspoon), optional
- Unsalted butter (6 tablespoons / 85 grams), melted
- Cream cheese (4 ounces / 115 grams), softened
- Unsalted butter (4 tablespoons / 55 grams), softened
- Powdered sugar (1½ cups / 180 grams), sifted
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- Milk (1-2 tablespoons / 15-30 ml), to thin frosting if needed
- Colored sanding sugar in purple, green, and gold (about 1 tablespoon each)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: Warm the whole milk to about 110°F (43°C). Sprinkle the active dry yeast and a pinch of sugar over the milk. Let it sit until foamy and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.
- Make the dough: To the yeast mixture, add softened butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Stir to combine. Gradually add flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes with stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand).
- First rise: Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl. Set aside melted butter separately.
- Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough and roll it into a 16×12-inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
- Add filling and roll: Brush melted butter evenly over dough. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture all over, pressing lightly. Roll dough tightly into a log starting from the long edge. Pinch seam to seal.
- Cut and arrange rolls: Slice the log into 12 even rolls (about 1½ inches thick). Arrange cut-side up in a greased 9×13-inch pan, leaving space to expand.
- Second rise: Cover loosely and let rolls rise until puffy but not doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Frost and decorate: Spread cream cheese frosting on warm (not hot) rolls. Sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars.
Notes
[‘Milk temperature is crucial for yeast activation; aim for warm but not hot (about 110°F).’, ‘Knead dough until elastic for soft, fluffy rolls; use the windowpane test to check gluten development.’, ‘Do not skip the second rise for light, airy rolls.’, ‘Use unflavored dental floss to cut rolls cleanly without squishing.’, ‘Adjust frosting thickness by varying milk amount.’, ‘Dough can be sticky; dust hands and surface lightly with flour but avoid adding too much to prevent dense rolls.’, ‘Rolls can be prepared up to second rise and refrigerated overnight before baking.’, ‘Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.’, ‘Reheat rolls in microwave for 15-20 seconds or oven at 300°F for 10 minutes.’]
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 280
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 6
Keywords: king cake cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls, cream cheese frosting, Mardi Gras recipe, festive cinnamon rolls, homemade cinnamon rolls