Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup sugar, separated
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp instant espresso granules
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- For the Frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- For the Filling:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp instant espresso granules
Preparation
Step 1
1. Warm the milk until it reaches 110°F. This takes about a minute in the microwave. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine milk, yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar. Give it a stir and let it sit for 10 minutes without disturbing it.
2. After 10 minutes it should be foamy and bubbly. If not, the yeast was probably old. Don't move forward without a foamy yeast mixture! Once foamy, add eggs, melted butter, salt, instant espresso granules and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
3. Slowly add flour 1 cup at a time. Mix on medium-low speed until the dough forms a ball and starts to pull away from the sides. When this happens, stop the mixer and remove the ball. Place in a well-oiled bowl (we like to use coconut oil or butter when baking). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. For the filling, combine the brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon and instant espresso in a bowl. Mix and set aside.
5. Butter or oil a large baking dish and set aside. After the dough has at least doubled in size, remove from the bowl and roll into a large rectangle that measures approximately 12x24 inches. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, spread the filling all over the dough leaving a 1/2 inch border all the way around the edges. Starting at the end closest to you, start tightly rolling the dough into a log. Seal the edges together by pinching together with your fingers.
6. Cut the dough into even portions, about 1 inch thick, using floss or pastry cutter. Place rolls into the greased baking dish and cover again with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise again for about 1 hour.
7. After 1 hour, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the insides are bubbling out.
8. While the rolls are baking, make the frosting by combining the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy with no clumps. Add powdered sugar, coffee, vanilla extract and salt. Mix well.
9. When the rolls come out of the oven, spread frosting all over and enjoy!