A swirl of fragrant spices and bright lemon: Iced Lemon Rolls with Cardamom are a delicious treat for breakfast or afternoon snacks.
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How many of you like to bake or cook with cardamom? I’ve noticed while watching The Great British Baking Show that bakers in the iconic tent frequently incorporate cardamom into their creations.
At holiday time, when I set up a cocoa and eggnog station (cups, spoons, a jar of cocoa, marshmallows, etc.) I like to include a little shaker of cardamom alongside one of cinnamon.
Here's another way to use this intriguing spice! In this lemon and cardamom buns recipe, cardamom is part of the buttery, sugary, filling. Check out my sweet Lemon Rolls.
Jump to:
What does cardamom taste like?
It's not an easy spice to describe! I taste a bit of citrusy flavor at first, and then a wave of warm, spicy notes — but even that isn't enough to fully express the flavor. Spruce Eats describes it as, “citrusy, minty, spicy, and herbal.” Tasting Table also describes cardamom as herbal, but adds that it has “notes of pine, yet something about it whispers sweet.”
I like that... the image of spices whispering their mysterious secrets to us from inside the treats we bake.
You might recognize the flavor of cardamom as one of the spices in chai tea, and also in some curries. The spice is very popular in Scandinavian bread, rolls, and pastries.
Why you'll love this recipe
Cardamom goes well with sweet and savory dishes, and in this Lemon Rolls recipe, it's very tasty blended with cinnamon.
Iced Lemon Rolls With Cardamom are sooo delicious with a cup of coffee or tea. Make a batch as breakfast sweet rolls or to serve as an afternoon snack.
This is a bread recipe, so do allow time for the bread dough to rise before and after shaping the rolls. Once the dough is rolled up with the cardamom lemon filling, you'll tuck them in a pan to rise a little before baking.
After baking, the golden-brown rolls are covered with a thick layer of sweet icing. I think this is the best lemon roll recipe, and you will, too!
🔪 How to make Iced Lemon Rolls With Cardamom
Ingredients for Lemon Rolls:
- Milk: This is the liquid in the bread dough and in the frosting.
- Active Dry Yeast: Use one envelope or 2-¼ teaspoons.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter is used in the dough, the filling, and the frosting!
- Granulated Sugar: This is used in both the dough and the filling.
- Eggs: Use large-size eggs.
- Salt: Just a little, in the dough.
- All-Purpose Flour: Use it in the bread dough.
- Lemon Zest and Fresh Lemon Juice: A couple of medium lemons will be enough.
- Cardamom: Make sure it's really fresh for the best flavor.
- Cinnamon: There's just a little cinnamon in the filling.
- Confectioner's Sugar: For the frosting.
Make the dough
Activate the yeast in warm milk, then stir in butter, sugar, and eggs. Add in flour to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough in a bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 90 minutes.
Tip!
Watch my video on how to knead this dough.
Make the filling
Stir together the sugar, spices, and lemon juice to make the filling for the rolls.
Make the rolls
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, and spread softened butter over the surface. Sprinkle the lemon-sugar filling evenly over the top. Roll the dough into a cylinder, and then use a sharp knife to slice it into 12 rolls.
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Let the rolls rise
Place the rolls into a prepared baking dish, cover it, and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.
Bake!
Bake the rolls until they're browned and baked through.
Add the frosting
Whisk together the ingredients for the sweet frosting, and spread it over the warm rolls. Enjoy!
FAQs
Yes, there are a few ways you can get a head start on the Lemon Rolls. The dough can be mixed, kneaded, then stored in the fridge to rise overnight. The next day, let it warm up for about 20 minutes, then proceed with the directions to roll it out and fill it.
Your baked and cooled Lemon Rolls can be covered tightly and stored in the fridge for up to two days. To warm them up, remove the plastic, cover the pan with foil, and warm them through in a 350°F oven. Add the icing once they're warm.
Finally, the baked and cooled rolls can be frozen. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze them for up to two months. Allow the rolls to thaw in the fridge, then cover the pan with foil to reheat them in the oven. Wait to add the icing until they're reheated.
Tips:
- Every article you read about cardamom will warn you against going too heavy with it, and for good reason. Too much will give your dishes a taste more medicinal than pleasant. Trial and error brought me to two teaspoons in this recipe: enough that the taste comes through but stays in that citrusy sweet spot!
- Ground cardamom is found in the spice aisle, and is usually made from green cardamom pods. If your ground cardamom has been buried in your cabinet for years, get rid of it and buy some new. Don't rationalize and say, "Oh I think there’s still some scent there." When you open and smell a fresh jar there’s no mistaking how strong and spicy it should be.
The recipe for Iced Lemon Rolls with Cardamom is below! If you want some other tempting treats to enjoy with a cuppa, I have a few for you!
💬 How do you like these Lemon Rolls? Share your comment below!
📖 Recipe
Iced Lemon Rolls With Cardamom
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Ingredients
For Dough:
- 8 ounces milk (1 cup)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (plus extra for kneading)
For Filling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon's worth)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom (make sure your cardamom is fresh, with a nice, strong aroma!)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For Frosting:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Heat 1 cup of the milk in the microwave just until it is lukewarm—not hot. Stir the yeast into the milk and allow it to sit and activate for 15 minutes.
- Pour this mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add in 4 tablespoons of the softened butter and ⅓ cup of the granulated sugar. Mix these ingredients together on medium speed.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and then the salt.
- Pour the 4 cups of flour into the bowl and mix it in until a wet sticky dough forms and there are no lumps of butter. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, until it is smooth and shiny. (A bench scraper is helpful to help scrape up the wet dough from the work surface.) Sprinkle a little more flour on the board as necessary if the dough is sticking.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place into a large, greased bowl. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes: it should be doubled in size.
Make the filling:
- Whisk together the cup of granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cardamom, and cinnamon. Hold this aside.
Fill, roll, and cut the dough:
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press the air out. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
- Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. (If you don't have parchment, grease the bottom and sides.)
- Roll the dough out into a 12" x 18" rectangle.
- Brush the dough rectangle with the melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar-spice filling over the butter distributing it evenly over the whole buttered area.
- Starting at a long side, roll the dough up, jelly roll-style. Pinch along the entire, long seam until it's completely sealed.
- Cut the roll into 12 equal slices: I like to use a serrated bread knife but you can also use the dental floss method if you'd prefer. Fit the slices into the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan with a clean dish towel and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes: The tops should be golden brown. Once baked remove them from the oven and allow the rolls to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Make the frosting:
- Beat the 4 tablespoons of softened butter until creamy. Slowly mix in the confectioner's sugar until it's completely blended with the butter. Add in the tablespoon of lemon juice and then the milk. Beat the frosting on high speed until it's creamy and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the warm rolls, or let them cool completely before frosting. Serve the rolls warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftover rolls tightly covered for up to three days. Makes 12 rolls.
Video
Notes
- Be sure your ground cardamom is fresh (check the date on the bottle!) for the best flavor in these rolls.
Nutrition
Kaley says
This recipe sounds delicious! If I were to prep them the night before would I put them in the fridge overnight for the first rise or second?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Kaley, I really think you'll like them - the combination of lemon and cardamom is really, really good. And yes - you can refrigerate them overnight. You would do this for the second rise: make the recipe all the way up to having the twelve rolled pieces in the baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge. The next morning, take the rolls out and let them rise/warm up in a room temperature spot for an hour. Then bake them as usual. When you do get to try these, please write again and let me know how they turned out!
Jp says
This was very good, easy to follow recipe, and steps all made sense. The buns are nice with or without the frosting (if you are looking to cut back on sugar where you can!).
Nancy Mock says
Hi Jennifer, I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipe! I sometimes eat them without frosting too, and tried to give the rolls enough filling so they're delectable either way. Thanks so much for leaving your feedback!