Name: Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Chai Frosting
Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk; 1 packet dry instant yeast ((2 1/4 teaspoons)); 1 tablespoon honey; 2 large eggs, beaten; 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted; 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ((plus 1/2 cup more, if needed)); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 6 tablespoons salted butter, very softened ((plus more for greasing pan)); 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature; 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon

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Imagine offering these Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Chai Frosting to your family as they roam into the kitchen on that lazy weekend morning. It can happen.

Prepare the dough and form the rolls the night before & pop it in the fridge. In the morning, bring the loaf to room temperature and bake up the goodness. Add a generous coating of yummy not-too-sweet icing and get ready to see lots of smiles.

What you’ll need to make the dough for your awesome Overnight Cinnamon Rolls…

Whole milk – Whole milk is recommended but reduced-fat milk should be okay.
Instant yeast – Use instant yeast for this recipe since it is simply whisked into the mix without first proofing it. Of course, always check to be sure that your yeast is well within the expiration date.
Honey – Adds a touch of sweetness. Also helps to activate the yeast.
Eggs – Large eggs (chilled or at room temperature) are used in this recipe.
Salted butter – Salted butter is recommended here. A portion will be melted, then added to the dough mixture. A portion must be at room temperature to be spread on the dough when forming the rolls.
Unbleached all-purpose flour – As always, I choose to use a good quality flour when making the dough for these cinnamon rolls. My favorite is from Sunrise Flour Mill, which is certified as organic, non-GMO and free of any trace of glyphosate.
Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt.
Light brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content. Light brown sugar is recommended, but dark brown sugar would also work well.
Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm spicy-sweet flavor.

Let’s get started on the dough.

It really is not as difficult as you may think. Especially if you’re fortunate enough to have a stand mixer with a dough hook.

If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook.
Combine the milk, yeast, honey, eggs, melted butter, 3½ cups of flour & the salt.
Knead until the flour is completely incorporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour in small amounts until you reach the proper consistency.

Of course, this can be mixed by hand. But get ready to use some muscle power.

Just don’t add all of the flour at one time.
Gradually add it to the other ingredients, in small increments, using a wooden spoon or dough whisk to mix it in.
When it becomes too difficult because of the density of the dough, get your hands in there to finish the job.
About five minutes of kneading should do it.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

The dough should now have doubled in size.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Punch it down & using your hands, form it into a ball.
Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 12 x 18 inches.

You may end up with more of a circle or oval shape, that’s no problem.
Just trim some dough off the long sides and add those excess pieces to each end.
Once you finish rolling it out, you won’t even notice where you patched it.

Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough.
I find that using some sort of pastry brush works well here.
Top it off with an even scattering of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

The next step can be a bit tricky but not too difficult.

Starting with the long edge closest to you, tightly roll up the dough into a log.
I find that it’s super helpful to nudge it along as I roll with my pastry scraper.
It keeps it all from sticking to the surface.
Pinch along the edges of the log to seal it as you proceed.

Be sure to have your loaf pan buttered and lined with parchment paper.

Cut the log into 6 rolls.
Place them cut side up in the prepared loaf pan.
Cover and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour in a warm place.
OR overnight in the fridge.
Be sure to bring the dough to room temperature before baking.

You decide on the timing.

You can let them rise at room temperature for about an hour then bake them.
Or place them in the fridge overnight. Give them time to come to room temperature before baking them in the morning.

When ready to bake…

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drippings.
Bake until cooked through and browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes.
If the rolls are browning too quickly, cover them with foil for the remainder of oven time.
Let cool 5 minutes before turning it out onto a rack.

While the cinnamon buns are baking, it’s a good time to prepare the chai frosting. What you’ll need…

Cream cheese – At room temperature. If you’re looking for a lighter substitute, you could use Neufchatel. It is a low-fat version of regular cream cheese.
Salted butter – At room temperature. Salted butter is recommended here.
Pure vanilla extract – Best to use pure vanilla extract. Made from only natural vanilla beans, water and alcohol, pure vanilla extract provides a richer, deeper flavor profile with additional aromatic notes that the artificial version lacks.
Powdered sugar – Also referred to as confectioners sugar. Best used here to produce a very fine, smooth texture without any noticeable sugar crystals.
Ground chai spices – cinnamon, allspice, ginger & cardamom

Let’s take a moment to talk about the term – chai.

When I hear the term, I think of a creamy spiced tea. It does typically consist of tea, spices, milk and sugar.

Actually, in India, where its people speak many languages, the universal word for tea is chai.

This frosting has no tea in it but there’s lot of amazing chai flavor. You may decide to use this very frosting on your next batch of cupcakes. It’s that good.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer,
Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.
If you whisk the chai spices into the sugar first, you’ll be sure that all of that flavoring is well incorporated.
Gradually beat in the powdered sugar that’s been mixed with the cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cardamom.
Beat until thoroughly combined.

Let the rolls rest in the loaf pan for about five minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack.

While still warm, give these beauties a generous coating of the creamy goodness.

Spread the frosting over the warm rolls.
Serve immediately with additional frosting on the side.

Even though the frosting will melt a bit and drip into the crevices, be sure to offer some extra for those who may want to indulge in some extra sweetness.

Your batch of Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Chai Frosting is ready to be enjoyed.

If for some reason they are not devoured in minutes, store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Gently reheat before serving