Cara Cara Orange Rolls

Cara Cara Orange Rolls

Cara Cara orange rolls are about as good of a breakfast as you can make! The fluffy buns are filled with the tangy taste of Cara Cara oranges! The buttery, almost caramel like glaze adds an incredible layer of flavor. Make these for your next special breakfast or brunch.

What you will need for these orange rolls:

Flour provides structure and texture to the dough through gluten formation.

Sugar adds sweetness, aids in browning, and supports yeast fermentation.

Yeast acts as a leavening agent, causing the dough to rise and creating an airy texture.

Salt enhances flavor, regulates yeast activity, and strengthens gluten structure.

Cara Cara oranges provide unique citrusy sweetness and tanginess, adding flavor and aroma to the rolls.

Heavy cream adds richness, tenderness, and moisture to the rolls.

Eggs act as a binder, providing structure, moisture, richness, and flavor.

Butter enriches the dough, adding tenderness, moisture, richness, and flavor. Additionally, butter is used for greasing

What is a Cara Cara Orange?

It is a juicy orange with a deep color (cuteness factor)⁠. It is intensely sweet⁠, seedless⁠ and lower in acid. A Cara Cara orange has 1 1/2 days of vitamin C⁠ and 30% of of a day’s vitamin A (vs 2 % reg navel orange!). Cara Cara oranges are at peak season between December and April.

a plate of orange rolls and 2 oranges

Cara Cara Orange Rolls

These rolls have an incredible flavor of orange! Perfect for weekend brunch!
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Course: baked goods
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast, brunch, cara cara oranges, orange rolls, rolls, sweet rolls
Servings: 16 rolls
Calories: 592kcal
Author: Bruce and Dina Miller

Equipment

  • bowl
  • round pan

Ingredients

Ingredients for dough:

  • 6 Cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 4 ½ teaspoon yeast
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice room temperature
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 12 tbls. butter very soft almost melted and cut into 24 pieces

Ingredients for Cara Cara Orange Roll Filling

  • 2 ½ tbls orange zest
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 8 tbls butter very soft

Ingredients for Cara Cara Orange Roll Glaze

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 8 tbls butter
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
    6 Cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 4 ½ teaspoon yeast, 2 teaspoon salt
  • In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and yolks. Whisk in orange juice, heavy cream and butter.
    2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, ½ cup heavy cream, 12 tbls. butter very soft
  • Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in egg mixture. Using a stiff spatula, mix dough until no dry bits remain.
  • Let dough rest covered with a warm moist towel for 15 minutes. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth ball is formed. Place dough into a large lightly oiled bowl. Lightly oil the top of the dough to prevent cracking while the dough rises. Cover with a warm towel and let rise until doubled about 1 hour. 

Prepare the filling for the rolls

  • Zest the oranges and combine with the sugar in a small bowl. Use a whisk to ensure that the mixture is fully combined. Allow to sit, as the sugar absorbs some of the orange oil for flavor.
    1 ½ cups sugar, 2 ½ tbls orange zest
  • Dump dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in two. Working with one half, roll the dough flat into an 8x16 inch rectangle. Smear 4 tablespoons of the soft butter onto the flattened dough.
    8 tbls butter very soft
  • Prepare 2 9-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, grease sides and bottoms with your hands and the leftover butter from the filling.
  • Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the butter. Roll the dough tightly, working from the long end. Tuck ends in and pinch seams tightly.
  • Slice rolls into 8 2-inch pieces and place in a prepared cake pan. Place one in the center and spread the remaining 7 around the outside with the seams facing out. Spray a piece of cling wrap with oil and cover the pan. Repeat with remaining dough, sugar mixture, butter and other pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  
  • Remove plastic from rolls, pour heavy cream over each plan evenly.
    1 cup heavy cream
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 40–45 minutes or until the middle registers 190 on an instant read thermometer. If tops are getting too dark, cover with aluminum foil. Let rolls cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  

Prepare the glaze

  • When rolls have begun baking, put ingredients for the glaze in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium low and keep slow steady bubbles in the middle of the pan. Continue to reduce for 30 minutes, until glaze is thick and smooth in texture. 
    1 cup sugar, ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 8 tbls butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt

Glaze the rolls

  • After rolls have cooled in the pan, slide a sharp knife around the edge of the rolls to loosen them. Put a plate covered with parchment paper upside down on top of the pan. Invert the pan and gently tap the bottom to release the rolls. Remove parchment from bottom of rolls and invert onto a clean plate. Repeat with second pan. Using a pastry brush, coat the tops and sides of the rolls with the glaze. Serve warm. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 479mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 1038IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

If you like this recipe, check out some of our other breakfast treats!

 

Dina and Bruce at the Golden Gate Bridge

Hi, we are Bruce and Dina Miller. We love to cook every night. We enjoy making a few healthy dishes, and also comfort food. We love crafting cocktails too! Come take a look, we would love to share our recipes with you.

Comments

  1. Elaine & James Reply

    5 stars
    You had us a Cara Cara oranges! They are a favourite and we love how you incorporated them into this recipe!

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