Dough

In the bowl, pour warm milk (not hot). Sprinkle active dry yeast over the milk along with a pinch of sugar to give the yeast a quick start. Let it sit undisturbed for about 3–4 minutes. The mixture should become slightly frothy or bubbly—this means the yeast is alive and active..
Tip: If there’s no foam or bubbles, either the milk was too hot (which can kill the yeast) or the yeast is no longer active. In that case, start over with fresh yeast.
Now take the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the dough hook). Add the egg, soft butter, and sugar. Pour in the activated yeast mixture. Then add flour and salt. No need to be fussy about the order of ingredients here—just make sure everything gets into the bowl.
Mix on medium speed for about 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl but still feel soft and slightly sticky. It should be elastic and stretchy—not dry.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly—just for a few seconds—to shape it into a smooth ball. This dough is quite soft, so a light dusting of flour is enough.
Place the dough in a greased bowl. You can use oil or butter to grease it—either works fine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This typically takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Rolling and Filling

Once the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to release the air. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface. The dough will still be slightly tacky, but that’s okay.
Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle approximately 14 inches by 10 inches. Try to keep the edges straight and even.
Now it’s time for the filling. Spread softened butter evenly across the entire surface of the dough. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle this mixture all over the buttered dough.
Starting from the bottom edge, roll the dough tightly all the way up into a log. Slice the log into thick segments—around 2 inches each.

Second Rise and Baking

Pour a layer of fresh cream into the bottom of your baking dish. I use the IKEA POETISK oven dish, which is about 30 x 20 cm. – https://www.ikea.com/in/en/p/poetisk-oven-dish-off-white-10513877/
Place the rolls cut-side up into the dish over the cream. Leave a little space between them, as they will puff up. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise again at room temperature for about 30–45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 190°C.
Once the rolls have risen and look puffy, bake them in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Tip: Keep an eye on the rolls in the last few minutes—every oven is different, and you want them golden but not overbaked.
Remove from the oven and let them cool in the same dish for about 45 minutes. This helps them absorb the creamy base at the bottom. The bottom will become gooey and nicely caramelise because of the fresh cream we added.

Making the Frosting

While the rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, and butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix well until the frosting is light and creamy. Make sure all your frosting ingredients are at room temperature for the smoothest texture.

Once the cinnamon rolls are slightly warm (not too hot), drizzle or spread the frosting generously over the top. Serve warm and enjoy!