Soft Orange Rolls Delight (Printable version)

Fluffy, citrus-scented rolls with sweet orange filling and creamy frosting for a bright, irresistible twist.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - Zest of 1 large orange
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
07 - 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
09 - 2 large eggs, room temperature

→ Orange Filling

10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 tbsp orange zest from about 2 large oranges
12 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

13 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
15 - 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
16 - 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
17 - 1 tsp orange zest
18 - 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk, orange juice, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add melted butter, orange zest, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix well to incorporate.
03 - Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes, adding a little more flour if needed, until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
05 - Mix sugar and orange zest together in a small bowl to release the oils. Set aside.
06 - Punch down the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 16x10-inch rectangle.
07 - Spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with orange sugar mixture.
08 - Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Cut into 12 equal rolls.
09 - Arrange rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 30–40 minutes.
10 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 22–25 minutes, until golden brown.
11 - While baking, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, orange juice, zest, vanilla, and salt; beat until creamy.
12 - Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread frosting generously over warm rolls.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're tender enough that you can practically tear them apart with a fork, but sturdy enough to actually transport without falling apart.
  • The orange flavor sneaks in from three different angles—zest in the dough, filling, and frosting—so it's bright without ever tasting artificial.
  • You can make them the night before and bake them fresh, which means weekend brunch basically plans itself.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients actually matter here—cold eggs and milk will cool everything down and mess with how the yeast behaves, so pull them out ahead of time.
  • Zesting before you juice the orange sounds obvious until you try it the other way and realize you've made your life harder than necessary.
  • The cream cheese frosting breaks if you overmix it after adding the powdered sugar; beat it smooth, then stop—your arms will thank you and so will the texture.
03 -
  • Dental floss cuts rolls more cleanly than a knife because it doesn't squeeze the dough—just pull it taut and let gravity do the work.
  • If your kitchen is cold, turn the oven on for thirty seconds, turn it off, then place your bowl of dough inside to rise; this creates a cozy, yeast-friendly environment.
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