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Prep time
3 hours
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Cook time
1 hour 20 minutes
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Serves
1 10-inch cinnamon roll cake
Author Notes
Here is a recipe I thought would be fun for you guys to make this fall–a giant cinnamon roll cake filled with little pieces of tart apple. It takes quite a long time to bake, but it’s a really fun project if you have some down time on the weekend. It would also be perfect to serve the morning of Thanksgiving or another winter holiday, or if you wanted to stick a few birthday candles, it could be a great alternative to a cake!
Tips & Tricks
• To test if the dough has been kneaded long enough, take a piece of dough between your hands and stretch it. If it breaks easily, it’s not done kneading. If it doesn’t break and you can stretch it thin enough to see through it, it’s done.
• You can make the initial cinnamon butter filling ahead, but don’t add the apples until you’re ready to assemble. As the apples sit in the filling, they release water, making it difficult to spread the filling onto the dough.
—Nea Arentzen
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Ingredients
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DOUGH
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2 cups
(250 grams) whole milk
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2 1/4 teaspoons
active dry yeast (1 packet)
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1/2 cup
(99 grams) granulated sugar
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1
large egg
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6 1/4 cups
(750 grams) all purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
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7 tablespoons
(100 grams) unsalted butter cut into pieces, room temperature
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FILLING
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14 tablespoons
(200 grams) unsalted butter, very softened
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1 cup
(198 grams) granulated sugar
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2 tablespoons
cinnamon
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
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2
green apples, cut into small ¼-inch pieces
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TO ASSEMBLE
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1
egg yolk + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
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Pearl sugar for garnishing, optional
Directions
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In a small saucepan, heat the milk until just lukewarm to the touch (98ºF on a kitchen thermometer).
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine the yeast and sugar. Pour the slightly warmed milk into the bowl; stir and let it sit until the yeast has dissolved and is starting to bubble (this means it’s activating), about 5 minutes.
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Add the egg and half of the flour. Mix on low speed until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining flour along with the butter; mix on low until the flour is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium–medium-high and knead until the dough is smooth and tacky, 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the strength of your mixer you could have to run the mixer for up to 30 minutes). (See tip.) Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.
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Right before you roll out the dough, make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix the softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the chopped apples (see tip).
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Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface into a large 24x12-inch rectangle. Spread the filling out into the edges. Cut the dough lengthwise into six long pieces. Starting with the piece closest to you, roll it up as you normally would when you make cinnamon rolls. Place it onto the start of the second piece and continue rolling. Make sure not to press down hard as this can make the filling start to seep out.
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Place it in the center of a buttered 10-inch springform pan, with the sides removed. Grab the next piece and wrap it around the cinnamon bun, piecing the end of the cinnamon bun together with the start of the new length. Repeat with the remaining pieces, then place (or rather yet, squeeze) the side of the pan back on. Cover with a clean kitchen towel to rest for another 30 to 34 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC with a rack in the center position. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk and cream. Brush it onto the cinnamon roll cake, then sprinkle with pearl sugar, if using. Bake until puffed, browned on top, and reads 210ºF on a kitchen thermometer, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (Check halfway through to make sure the top isn’t browning too much–I like to place tin foil on top at this point if so).
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Serve with an optional cream cheese glaze drizzled on top.
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