An at-home baker has reworked her standard cinnamon roll recipe into a twisted, babka-style loaf baked in a 9x13-inch pan, then served with cream cheese frosting on the side rather than spread over the top. The recipe, which she says she has adjusted over several years, calls for an overnight chill and yields about 12 servings.
She describes the dough as plush and rich, with easy-to-remember measurements and no separated eggs. The shaping borrows from the twist used for a krantz cake-style babka: the filled dough is rolled into a long coil, frozen briefly, cut lengthwise, then twisted into ribbons and arranged in four rows in the pan. She says this method produces a more textured bun than a standard roll, which is why she leaves the frosting off.
"I absolutely believe in frosting icing rolls, especially with cream cheese," she writes, "but these are too pretty and textured to cover." Instead, she makes a bowl of cream cheese frosting—cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a tablespoon or two of milk or cream—and lets each person add their own.
What the recipe requires
The dough uses milk, instant yeast, granulated sugar, kosher salt, eggs, unsalted butter, and all-purpose flour. The filling is melted butter, dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. The baker notes that she uses Diamond brand kosher salt and advises using 1.5 teaspoons if using another brand.
She offers two rising methods: a room-temperature rise of 1½ to 2 hours followed by at least 1 hour in the fridge, or an 8-to-48-hour cold rise. She warns that the dough is impossible to work with at room temperature.
After shaping, the twists rest 15 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. The buns cool 5 minutes before cutting. Leftovers keep at room temperature for a few days, and extra icing lasts a week in the fridge.
Editorial Notes