Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm milk until lightly foamy.

Step 2

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

Step 3

Attach the bowl to the mixer along with the dough hook. Kneed the dough for about 4 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.

Step 4

Grease a clean mixing bowl with butter. Transfer the dough to the buttered bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Allow dough to rise undisturbed for one hour or until doubled in size.

Step 5

Generously grease one rectangular baking dish (or two square bakers) with butter. Put aside.

Step 6

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Transfer the mixture to a sugar shaker (this will eliminate any lumps from the brown sugar). Put aside.

Step 7

Transfer the dough to a clean pastry board lightly dusted with flour. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that’s approximately twelve inches by sixteen inches.

Step 8

With a spatula, spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Using the sugar shaker, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the entire surface of the dough.

Step 9

From the long end, carefully roll the dough into a log. With a knife or floss, cut the dough into 12 cinnamon rolls. Transfer cinnamon rolls to the buttered baking dish, leaving enough space in between.

Step 10

Cover the baking dish with a towel. Allow cinnamon rolls to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Step 11

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 12

Uncover the cinnamon rolls. Tent the baking dish with foil. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15 minutes with the foil tent. Remove the foil tent and bake for another 10 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are lightly golden brown. (Total baking time – approximately 25 minutes.)

Step 13

Prepare the icing while the cinnamon rolls are baking.

Step 14

In a mixing bowl, whip the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Step 15

Using an icing spatula, frost the baked cinnamon rolls with icing while they’re still warm.