Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls
(This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. This is my way to keep this site afloat and free of ads. Read my full disclosure here.)
Starting the morning with warm cherry almond sweet rolls should be a thing in your life. These soft and fluffy rolls are filled with an almond cream makes that makes the dough puff even more in the oven and with a juicy cherry compote that’s bursting with sweetness. I’ll tell you how you can totally make ahead these or leave rolled overnight in the fridge to bake in the morning. Get ready to add these sweet rolls to your new favorites!
I’ve been wanting to do something with cherries and almonds for a while now. The combination is so freakishly good! And now while I’m writing, a ricotta cake with this combo just popped up in my head. Would you want to see a recipe for that? Anyway, back to the conversation, I’m so happy I finally made these because cherries and almonds are a perfect match!
In case you are wondering why is that, so it happens that cherries and almonds, even if very different from each other, belong to the same family; the prunus. This only means that there’s hope for you getting along with that cousin that makes you bite your tongue and roll your eyes many times at every family reunion. Only think that if cherries and almonds are doing it, so you can! As always, I’m rooting for you ; )
As I mentioned before, the almond cream expands a bit while being baked, as it happens in frangipane tarts. That’s why these rolls will get bigger and fluffier after baked. This almond cream blends perfectly with the homemade cherry compote. You can use other fruits as well, such as a raspberry compote or blueberry compote. But cherry is quite special here to be honest. I used frozen pitted cherries and the flavor was incredible!
Making sweet rolls ahead or overnight
Don’t panic thinking you need to make all this very early in the morning. You 2 options to make these cherry sweet almond rolls in advance:
The first option and what I always do is to bake these the day before. Trust me, thanks to the tangzhong method, which consists on making a sponge that holds lots of moistness into the dough, your roll will taste freshly baked not only the morning after, but a few days after that as well. You just have to let them in the cooled down oven overnight and then reheat them a few minutes before pouring the glaze. This way the glaze will melt into the folds, which helps in making these taste right-out-of-the-oven fresh.
The second option is to make the rolls but place them covered in the fridge instead putting them to proof a second time. Take them out the next morning and let them come down to room temperature, which can take an hour, before putting to proof for 20 to 30 minutes. Put them to bake and glaze.
How to Make Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls
I like to make the cherry compote and the almond cream in advance. The cherry compote will be good for months and the almond cream can be done a full day in advance. You can always make these two while the dough is rising. Just make sure the compote is a bit chilled so it’s easier to spread.
When working with the dough, start by melt the butter so it has time to cool down.
Next mix the flours. Take out 3 tablespoons and mix with ½ cup of water to make the sponge as stated in the recipe below (tangzhong).
While the sponge is cooling down, gather the rest of the ingredients. I sometimes put it in the fridge and stir it every 5 minutes or so until it looses the heat quickly.
Make the dough according to the steps below in the recipe.
Put the dough to rise in a warm area. I usually wrap it with a throw blanket or kitchen towel because the yeast needs a warm environment.
If you haven't already, make the almond cream and cherry compote while the dough is rising. Also grease an 8” to 9” baking dish. If the time comes and you aren’t ready to stretch the dough yet, put it in the fridge a few minutes while you are ready to work on it.
To assemble the rolls, stretch the dough and spread the almond cream and the cherry compote. Roll and slice the rolls. You can use dental floss or a very sharp knife. Arrange them in the greased baking dish.
Let the rolls second proof for about 30 minutes, until they look puffy and have grown about half its original size. This could take less time if you spend a long time cutting the rolls.
While the rolls are proofing, preheat oven to 400°.
Pour a bit of coconut milk or heavy cream to the bottom of the rolls pan to increase humidity in the oven and end up with ultra soft rolls. If you don’t want the rolls too gooey, you can omit this step.
SUPER-IMPORTANT, after you place the rolls in the oven, decrease oven temperature to 350° for the full baking time. The idea behind starting to bake at a higher temperature is to give the rolls a last rise in the oven and to accelerate the baking time, preventing excessive heat exposure.
If serving the next morning, store the rolls in the completely cooled down oven overnight, NOT in the fridge. The next morning take them out of the oven and preheat your oven to 300°. This is just to warm them up so the icing melts on top of them.
You can make the glaze ahead or the same morning. Use some of the cherry compote for a nice pink glaze. If you make it ahead, take it out of the fridge so it is at room temperature when you glaze the rolls.
Shop the post:
Kitchen Aid stand mixer with hook attachment.
My golden sieve.
Check other baking and cooking essentials on a little shop I created for u!
3 recipes I think you’ll love if you’re loving this one:
Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
Gooey Apple Ricotta Cake
Blueberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls
*
Can’t wait for you to try these! When you do, take a pic and share them with me in Instagram (@devamadeo), TikTok (@DevAmadeo) or Facebook (@DevAmadeo) when you make it. Love to see what you make!
(Remember to leave your email when you make a comment to receive a notification as soon as I get back to you. Don’t worry, this will not add your email to my email list.)
Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Cherry Compote:
◯ Cold water - ¼ cup, 62g
◯ Cornstarch - 1 TBSP, 10g
◯ Lemon juice - 2 TBSP/28g
◯ Cherries, whole and pitted - 2 cup, 400g
◯ Natural granulated sugar (cane sugar) - 4 TBSP, 56g
Almond cream:
◯ Butter, softened - 12 TBSP, 171g
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ¾ cup + 2 TBSP, 170g
◯ Large eggs - 3, 164g
◯ Almond meal (or almond flour) - 1 ¾ cup, 175g
◯ Fine sea salt - a pinch
◯ All-purpose flour - 1 TBSP, 8g
◯ Almond extract - ½ Tsp
Sweet dough:
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour - 2 cups, 290g
◯ Unbleached bread flour - 2 cups, 290g
◯ Water - ½ cup, 118g
◯ Butter - 8 TBSP, 113.5g, melted and cooled down, plus 4 TBSP, softened
◯ Buttermilk, at room temperature - ¾ cup, about 182g
◯ Fine sea salt - 1 Tsp, 6g
◯ Eggs, large and preferably organic and cage free - 2
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ½ cup, 105g
◯ Instant yeast - 1 packet, 11 g
◯ Vanilla extract - ½ Tsp
◯ Coconut milk or heavy cream - about ¼ cup, 60g
◯ Vegetable oil for greasing the bowl
Cherry icing:
◯ Confectioner’s sugar - 2 cups, 245g, sifted
◯ Cherry compote - a few drops or 1 teaspoon
◯ Water - as needed
Details
Yield:
8 to 10 rolls
Total time:
4 hours
Active time:
5 minutes to make the cherry compote, 10 minutes to almond cream, 15 minutes to make the rolls dough.
Baking time:
15 minutes
Equipment:
Stand mixer with hook attachment, rolling pin, deep baking dish
Steps:
Cherry Compote:
Mix the ¼ cup/62g of cold water and the 1 tablespoon/10g of cornstarch until dissolved. If using frozen cherries, combine the 2 tablespoon/28g of lemon juice with these.
Add the previous mixture to a small pot. Place in the 2 cup/400g of cherries, the lemon juice (if you haven't added in the step before) and the 4 tablespoons/56g of sugar. Gently mix and let it boil, then cook for 5 extra minutes, until you see the fruit is breaking and the liquid is thickening. Retire from heat and let it cool.
After cooled down, use an immersion blender to break down the fruit until smooth. Very small pieces of fruit is ok.
Almond cream:
Beat the 12 TBSP/171g of butter with the ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons/170g of granulated sugar in medium speed with a stand mixer (#4 in the Kitchen Aid) or an electric hand mixer until a smooth and grainy paste forms. Add eggs, one at a time and mixing a bit to incorporate between additions.
Sift over the bowl the 1 ¾ cup/175g of almond meal, the pinch of salt and the tablespoon/8g of flour (or just mix the dry ingredients for a few minutes with a hand whisk). Add the ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Mix to combine well. Set aside.
(If doing in advance, cover it with a plastic paper pressed directly over the cream and store in the fridge. It should be good for 1 day.)
Sweet dough:
In a large bowl mix the 2 cups/290g of all purpose flour with the 2 cups/290g of bread flour.
In a measuring cup mix ½/118g of water with about 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture. Heat in the microwave until you have a smooth pudding-like paste. Start with two 15-second intervals and keep heating in 10-second intervals if necessary to prevent scorching the mixture. Set aside to cool down.
With a paper towel oil with vegetable oil the inside of a large bowl. Place parchment paper on baking tray (see notes above) and butter it well.
In a mixing bowl pour the 8 tablespoons/113.5g of melted butter, the ¾ cup/182g of buttermilk and mix the teaspoon/6g of fine sea salt. Add the 2 eggs, the ½ cup/105g of sugar, the packet/11g of instant yeast, the ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and the cooled down sponge. Mix using the whisk attachment.
Pour about 3 cups of the flour and mix until combined. Switch to the hook attachment and add the remaining flour. Knead in medium-slow speed (#2 in the Kitchen Aid) for 10 minutes. Dough should not stick to the walls but it will stick to the bottom. Transfer to oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and loosely wrap bowl with a puffy kitchen towel or throw blanket. Place in a warm area of your home where there is no air draft (I place it in my nightstand besides my bed and close the door). Let the dough rise and double in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on your home temperature.
While the dough is rising make the almond cream and or cherry compote if not doing ahead
Stretching and making the rolls:
Grease a 9” round or squared baking dish.
When the dough is ready, dust with enough flour a clean flat surface. Punch the dough (it will deflate) and turn it out over the surface. Dust flour over your rolling pin and over the dough, it should never feel sticky to the touch. Using your hands (you may dust and rub some flour into them as well) stretch the dough into a rectangle as much as you can. Then roll it into a rectangle of approximately 20” x 18”, dusting more flour on your rolling pin and over the dough as needed.
Spread a semi-thick layer of the almond cream and then spread a semi-thick layer of the cherry compote on top.
Working from the longest side, pull up the dough and roll into a log as tight as you can. I like to pull up the dough and kind of drop it over it instead of rolling in a pushing-forward motion. Pinch the seam at the end and, if it isn’t already, accommodate it below the log. Using a piece of dental floss or a very sharp knife cut 1 ½” rolls.
Transfer each roll to the greased prepared baking tray or dish, leaving some space between them. Loosely cover with plastic paper again or a kitchen towel. Wrap again with a piece of thick cloth and put them to rise until puffy and almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (Note: if you see bubbles forming on the surface of the dough, they could be over proofing and you should bake immediately.)
When approaching the last 20 minutes of proofing, preheat oven to 400°.
When the rolls are ready to be baked, pour a bit of coconut milk or cream cheese through the open spaces between the rolls. Swirl the pan to make sure the cream is well distributed.
Place rolls in the preheated oven. Drop temperature to 350°. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until top is golden brown and the center looks matte and not shiny. If the rolls still look a bit raw but they’re turning too dark brown, cover with aluminum foil during the last 5 minutes of baking. Try to not bake over 20 minutes. They will still keep cooking a bit after you take them out.
If making the day before:
Take out rolls and let them cool down completely (let the oven cool down completely as well). After that, let the cooled down rolls in the cooled down oven, covered with a kitchen towel.
The next morning take the rolls out of the oven and preheat it at 300°.
Place rolls in the oven (or just the rolls you are going to eat) and warm them for about 7 to 10 minutes. Pour glaze over rolls.
Rolls with cream cheese icing should be in a dry cool place for up to 3 days.
Cherry icing:
Mix the 2 cups/245g of confectioner’s sugar with some drops of the cherry icing and add about a teaspoon of water and mix. Depending on your desired color, add a few more drops of the cherry compote or water. Keep adding bits of liquid until you have the desired consistency. If it gets too runny, add more confectioner’s sugar.
