Valentine’s Day is such a fun, little holiday to celebrate! All the pinks and reds and treats and flowers and love taking over everything for the day brings so much joy! Knowing that, we must make sure to enjoy every last drop of it, starting bright and early with breakfast! Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls bring the festive colors and the sweetness and they’re sure to steal your heart. Get ready to fall in love with these fluffy, perfectly crunchy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside delights. They gift you hints of rich cinnamon and chocolatey cocoa powder all swimming in a sugary vanilla frosting. Step aside, pink-frosted donuts, Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are the new stars of lovey-dovey sweet morning treats on love day!
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 (0.25-ounce) packets rapid rising yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 teaspoons red food coloring
- 1 egg
For the filling:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
For the frosting:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-5 cups powdered sugar
- 3-6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Directions
Step 1 –In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, the yeast, and the salt and stir until it is blended.
Step 2 –In a microwave-safe bowl, place the water and 6 tablespoons of the butter and microwave on high until very warm but not too hot to touch, in 15 second increments. The butter won’t be completely melted.
Step 3 –Add the flour mixture, the food coloring, and the egg to the butter mixture and beat it using an electric mixture at medium speed, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl, for 2 minutes.
Step 4 –Add 1 cup of the flour to the batter and beat on high speed, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl, for 2 minutes.
Step 5 –Stir just enough of the remaining flour into the batter so that the dough will form into a ball.
Step 6 –On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 7 –Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Step 8 –While the dough is resting, in a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar, the remaining cocoa, and the cinnamon.
Step 9 –Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan.
Step 10 –Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle.
Step 11 –Spread 5 tablespoons of the very soft butter over the dough, stopping at least 1/2-inch from the edges on the long sides.
Step 12 –Sprinkle the butter with the cinnamon mixture.
Step 13 –Beginning at the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly, then pinch the seams to seal.
Step 14 –Cut the dough log into 12 equal pieces.
Step 15 –Place the dough, cut-side down, in the prepared baking dish.
Step 16 –Cover the dough rolls with a clean towel and let them rise in a warm place until they have doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Step 17 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 18 –Bake the rolls until they are golden-brown, about 23-30 minutes.
Step 19 –Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool.
Step 20 –While the rolls are cooling, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining butter.
Step 21 –Stir the melted butter over the heat until the color deepens from yellow to golden, about 2-4 minutes.
Step 22 –Transfer the melted butter from the heat.
Step 23 –In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, the cream cheese, and the vanilla and mix well.
Step 24 –Mix the powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture, 1 cup at a time, until the frosting is very thick.
Step 25 –Add the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Step 26 –Spread the frosting over the cooled cinnamon rolls.
Step 27 –Serve.