Quick Cinnamon Buns with Buttermilk Icing
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 30, 2011
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Makes 8 buns
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for pan
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
¾ cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5 ¼ ounces [149 grams])¼ cup granulated sugar (1 ¾ ounces/50 grams)2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves ⅛ teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, meltedBiscuit Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams), plus additional flour for work surface2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon table salt 1 ¼ cups buttermilk 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedIcing
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened2 tablespoons buttermilk 1 cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces/113 grams)Before You Begin
Melted butter is used in both the filling and the dough and to grease the pan; it’s easiest to melt the total amount (8 tablespoons) at once and measure it out as you need it. The finished buns are best eaten warm, but they hold reasonably well for up to 2 hours.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Combine sugars, spices, and salt in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.
- Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Following illustrations in "Rolling Up Cinnamon Buns," fill, roll, cut, and arrange buns in buttered cake pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use offset metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating, slide buns out of pan onto greased cooling rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing.
- While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup); set rack with buns over baking sheet. Whisk cream cheese and buttermilk in large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift confectioners' sugar over; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze evenly over buns; serve immediately.
to make cinnamon-sugar filling
to make biscuit dough
to make icing and finish buns
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Makes 8 bunsIngredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for pan
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
¾ cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5 ¼ ounces [149 grams])
¼ cup granulated sugar (1 ¾ ounces/50 grams)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Biscuit Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams), plus additional flour for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Icing
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces/113 grams)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for pan
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
¾ cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5 ¼ ounces [149 grams])
¼ cup granulated sugar (1 ¾ ounces/50 grams)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Biscuit Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams), plus additional flour for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Icing
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces/113 grams)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for pan
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
¾ cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5 ¼ ounces [149 grams])
¼ cup granulated sugar (1 ¾ ounces/50 grams)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Biscuit Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams), plus additional flour for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Icing
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces/113 grams)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
In search of an easy, foolproof cinnamon bun recipe, we discovered a few shortcuts, none of which compromised texture or taste. First, we prepared a quick biscuit dough with buttermilk, melted butter, and flour, adding baking powder for lightness and baking soda to balance the acidity of the buttermilk. Then, we filled the dough with a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and white sugar moistened with butter. The topping for our cinnamon bun recipe was also a snap: A tangy, smooth icing made of buttermilk, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar.
Before You Begin
Melted butter is used in both the filling and the dough and to grease the pan; it’s easiest to melt the total amount (8 tablespoons) at once and measure it out as you need it. The finished buns are best eaten warm, but they hold reasonably well for up to 2 hours.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Combine sugars, spices, and salt in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.
- Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Following illustrations in "Rolling Up Cinnamon Buns," fill, roll, cut, and arrange buns in buttered cake pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use offset metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating, slide buns out of pan onto greased cooling rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing.
- While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup); set rack with buns over baking sheet. Whisk cream cheese and buttermilk in large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift confectioners' sugar over; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze evenly over buns; serve immediately.
to make cinnamon-sugar filling
to make biscuit dough
to make icing and finish buns
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