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Carrot Cake Cinnamon Buns

Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

Tangzhong

  • 200 g water
  • 40 g bread flour

Dough

  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 large carrots peeled
  • 4 tablespoons milk powder 24 g
  • 2 packs active dry yeast 14 g
  • 700 g bread flour ~5 cups
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 stick softened butter 113 g

Filling

  • 1 stick butter softened 113 g
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Cream cheese glaze

  • 4 tablespoons butter softened 57 g
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened 113 g
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted 120 g
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Tangzhong:

  • Add the flour and water into a medium saute pan over medium heat. Stir to combine.
  • Continue to stir with a spatula until it forms a thick paste (about 5 minutes)
  • Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours (up to overnight). An hour before use, take the paste out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature

Milk Bread Dough

    Blooming the yeast:

    • Add carrots into the blender with milk until the carrots are fully blended (there may be a few small pieces this is ok)
    • Heat the carrot milk in the microwave until 105 degrees
    • To bloom the yeast, add together warm milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast into a small bowl. The milk should be about 105 degrees fahrenheit. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it is slightly sweet smelling bubbly.

    Making the dough

    • In the base of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the bread flour, milk powder, salt, and remaining sugar. Run the mixer on low and add in the bloomed yeast, egg, and tangzhong. Mix for about 2-3 minutes on low until the dough begins to form.
    • After 2-3 minutes add in the softened butter and continue to mix on low for about 1 minute. After the butter is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium high and mix for 8 minutes. At this point the dough should form a ball that is not too sticky, if it is not forming a ball, add in a few more tablespoons of bread flour.
    • Once the dough is smooth and formed into a ball, place it into a greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and proof it for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size (the time this takes will depend on the temperature of where you are letting the dough proof)

    Shaping:

    • After the dough has doubled in size. Flour the counter or a large surface and roll it into a rectangle (about ¼ inch thick)
    • Make the filling by mixing softened butter, cinnamon, and sugar. After the filling is mixed, spread it over the dough leaving a ½ border along the edges
    • After adding the filling, roll the dog into a log rolling the longer side inwards until a tight log forms.
    • Once the roll is formed used unflavored floss or a knife to cut the dough into 12 pieces (We cut off the ends and then cut 12 even pieces)
    • Place each roll into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Cover the pan with a towel and let them proof for about 35-40 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size.
    • Note: We chose to make 2 trays of 6 (vs placing all 12 into one pan so they cooked more evenly), but they can be made with all 12 in 1 they will bake up higher and need to cook for slightly longer.
    • Preheat the oven to 350˚F
    • After they have proofed, bake the cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes (if all 12 are in the pan they will need slightly longer if just 6 are in the pan) or until they are golden on the edges but baked in the center. Cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

    Frosting:

    • Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, and butter into a bowl and mix with a spoon until smooth. Add the extracts, powdered sugar, and salt into the bowl and mix until smooth. Frost each cinnamon rolls with about a tablespoon of the icing and serve.