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Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

This Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake is the best of both worlds of cinnamon rolls and creamy cheesecake. It's made with sweet dough without yeast that gives a real cinnamon roll dough feeling, creamy tangy cheesecake, a cinnamon swirl filling and a cream cheese frosting. No water-bath needed!
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Chill time4 hrs
Total Time5 hrs 30 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake, cinnamon, cinnamon roll
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 500kcal
Author: Dea Kepic

Ingredients

Cinnamon roll batter

  • 100 g sugar
  • 55 g butter at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 120 ml milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 250 g flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Cottage cheese filling

  • 450 g cream cheese Philadephia
  • 80 g sour cream
  • 75 g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp flour

Cinnamon filling

  • 75 g butter melted and browned
  • 150 g brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp cinnamon

Cream cheese frosting

  • 70 g cream cheese  Philadelphia
  • 40 g butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50 g powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C (320F) and line a 23 cm (9 inch) round spring-form pan with parchment paper.

Cinnamon roll batter

  • With an electric mixer or by hand whisk cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract, beat for another minute.
  • Add milk and mix to combine.
  • Stir together flour, baking powder and salt, then add that to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until everything is well combined.
  • Spread the better half of the batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan. The batter will be very thick and sticky, so it helps if you grease your hands a bit and then spread the batter around. You will get a very thin layer but it will rise up during baking. It's better to use more batter on the bottom than on the top, to really cover the bottom well. Set aside and make the fillings.

Cheesecake filling

  • Beat the cream cheese for about a minute to smooth it out.
  • Mix in the sugar and vanilla extract, mix for a few seconds.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed for a few seconds between each addition. We don't really want to add too much air to the mixture, just combine the ingredients well. You can blend the ingredients with an immersion blender for a few seconds, that reduces the chance to add in too much air and prevents cracks.
  • Add the flour and mix until everything is well combined and distributed.
  • Pour the filling on top of the cinnamon roll batter that is in the prepared pan.

Cinnamon filling

  • To add an extra special taste, brown the butter. You can skip this step and just use melted butter if you want.
  • To brown the butter - place the butter in a pot and melt it over medium heat. Let it come to a boil and then cook it for a few minutes, stirring often (especially the bottom of the pot). It will start to bubble a lot and get a nutty aroma. Check the color under the bubbles often, to see if it has brown particles. This will take around 7-10 minutes and you know it's done when there are brown bits at the bottom and the butter has a very nutty aroma. Take a tablespoon of the butter and wait for the foam to disappear to check for browned bits. Be sure to stir often as the browned bits can stick to the bottom and burn.
  • Combine cinnamon and sugar, then add the butter.
  • Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling over the entire top of the cheesecake making sure not to get too close to the edges. If you get too close to the edge, the filling could bubble out and burn when baking. Swirl the filling around with a toothpick or a knife.

Assemble

  • Take the rest of the base batter and drop spoonfuls over the entire top of cheesecake. Lightly swirl it around, it will be very sticky but do it just a bit to distribute the batter better.
  • Bake for 60-70 min, or until the center is slightly jiggly when shaking the pan (with oven mitts) and the edges are more set.
  • When it's done, turn off the oven and leave it inside for 30 minutes, so that the drastic temperature change doesn't cause it to crack.
  • Then let it cool completely, about 2-3 hours at room temperature.

Creme cheese frosting

  • Beat the butter for a minute and then add all the other ingredients. Mix just until everything is well combined.
  • Put the frosting in a pastry bag (or a zip-lock bag), cut a little bit at the end and drizzle over the cooled cheesecake in stipes or circles.

Enjoy!

    Notes

    • I really suggest using the Philadelphia cream cheese, because I've always had the best results with it.
    • Note that I'm using the Philadelphia cream cheese spread in a tube and not the one in a block because it's not available here. You can use either.
    • Before you mix the ingredients together make sure they are at room temperature. If nothing else, cream cheese must be at room temperature.
    • You can skip browning the butter and just use melted butter in the filling.
    • If you want a cheesecake with a lot more cheesecake part, reduce the amount of the dough batter by 1/3.
    • Check your cheesecake for doneness after 60 minutes and see how it's going.
    • You could make this cheesecake in a smaller or bigger spring-form pan, but the time of baking will be different, and I think this original size and thickness is the best.
    • This cheesecake is eaten best at room temperature.
    • Store it in the fridge, covered, or in an air-tight container for up to 4-5 days.
    • You can freeze the cheesecake for up to 3 months. Wrap the cheesecake all around, with or without the pan, in cling film. Then wrap it in aluminum foil or place it in an air-tight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before eating.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @FreakyBlond or tag #prettysweetblog!