Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Speculoos Cream Cheese Frosting

Autumn is full of wonderful flavours and ingredients, but my absolute favourite has to be pumpkin. I love its colour, texture and aroma! It is so versatile and fragrant, and it goes into countless desserts that transport you straight into an autumn landscape. It also pairs beautifully with cinnamon, ginger and the other warm spices of the colder months.

This pumpkin dough is one of the most versatile – and tastiest – doughs I make. It is wonderfully elastic and fragrant, and the overnight rest in the fridge only enhances those qualities, developing flavour and making the dough much easier to roll out.

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For the frosting, I used homemade Speculoos cookie butter mixed with cream cheese, which gives it a lightly caramelised, spiced flavour. Dulce de leche works just as well.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Speculoos Frosting

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the essence of autumn – moist, soft and fragrant, with an intense pumpkin flavour and a lightly caramelised cream cheese frosting.

Servings :12 rolls

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Proofing time 12 hours hrs

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin dough

• 25 g fresh yeast
• 140 g milk (cold)
• 50 g light brown sugar
• 150 g pumpkin purée
• 110 g whole eggs
• 40 g egg yolks
• 5 g vanilla extract
• 5 g orange zest
• 580 g strong bread flour (high protein)
• 4 g salt
• 2 g ground cinnamon
• 1 g ground cardamom
• 100 g butter (at room temperature)
• 20 g neutral vegetable oil

Filling

• 130 g butter (at room temperature)
• 200 g light brown sugar
• 120 g pumpkin purée
• 3 g ground cinnamon
• 1 g ground cardamom
• 1 g salt

Frosting

• 75 g butter (at room temperature)
• 75 g Speculoos cookie butter or dulce de leche
• 200 g cream cheese (at room temperature)

Instructions

 

Dough

• Stir the yeast into the milk until dissolved.
• Add the brown sugar, pumpkin purée, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the liquids with the flour, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Knead for 15–20 minutes, until the dough is elastic.
• Gradually add the butter, then the oil, kneading well.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Filling

• Beat the butter with the brown sugar until pale.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

Shaping and baking

• Roll the dough into a 60x40cm rectangle.
• Spread the filling evenly over the dough with a spatula.
• Roll up tightly and cut into 12 equal pieces.
• Place the rolls cut side up in a 30x40cm baking tray.
• Leave to rise at room temperature for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
• Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 35–45 minutes.
• Leave to cool completely.

Frosting

• Beat the butter for 4–5 minutes until fluffy.
• Add the Speculoos cookie butter and cream cheese and mix until smooth.
• Spread the frosting over the rolls.
• Serve straight away.

Keyword Autumn, Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin

More cosy autumn bakes: apple and vanilla cake and pear honey cake.

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