Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls Recipe

homemade orange sweet rolls with orange dreamcicle frosting

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5 from 2 votes

These sweet orange rolls with orange frosting are light, fluffy, and bursting with orange flavor.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 409kcal

Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

Sweet Roll Dough

2 cups water warm
2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons butter melted
5½-6 cups all-purpose flour

Orange Roll Filling

4 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons orange zest

Orange Frosting

1/2 cup butter room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons orange juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sweet Roll Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of flour, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
Add an additional 3½ cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. You may need to add up to ½ a cup more (you will know you've added enough flour when the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl). Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Assembling

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and form it into a small rectangle with your hands. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into an approximately 24" x 12" rectangle (about ½" thick).
Melt the butter, then add the sugar and orange zest. Mix, then spread evenly over the rolled dough.
Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 12 evenly sized (roughly 1") slices using a very sharp knife.
Lay the slices on a large, greased 13" by 18" baking pan about 1/2"-1" apart. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes or until double and touching in the pan.

Bake

While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for 20-24 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.

Orange Frosting

In an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add the powdered sugar, vanilla, orange extract flavoring, finely grated orange zest, and orange juice and then mix until all the ingredients are combined. Turn the mixer on high again and beat until fluffy.
Spread a thick layer of this orange frosting onto the warm rolls, just out of the oven, paying close attention to evenly coat the edges of the sweet rolls. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing leftovers: wrap leftover sweet rolls in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.

Reheating: either microwave or add the entire pan of rolls back into the oven at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.

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