Violet Bakery’s Cinnamon Buns
Flaky, buttery, no-yeast cinnamon buns inspired by Violet Bakery — fragrant with cardamom, filled with brown sugar and cinnamon, baked in a muffin tin, and finished with a crackly sugar dip. Ready in under an hour with no proofing required.
- Total Time55 minutes
- Yield12 buns 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
The Filling
- 75 g unsalted butter (1/3 cup), melted and kept warm
- 250 g light brown sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
The Dough
- 560 g all-purpose flour (4 1/2 cups), plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 240 g cold unsalted butter (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon), cut into small cubes
- 300 g cold milk (1 1/4 cups)
For Finishing
- sugar, for dipping
- butter, for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat and Butter the Pan: Heat oven to 390°F (200°C), or 355°F (180°C) for convection. Generously butter all 12 cups of a deep muffin pan.
- Make the Filling: Melt the butter and keep in a warm place so it stays liquid. Mix together the light brown sugar and cinnamon until no lumps remain. Set both aside.
- Make the Dough: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Add the cold cubed butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the cold milk until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rest a few minutes, fold gently once or twice, then rest again for 10 minutes.
- Roll and Fill: On a large lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, just under ⅛ inch (5mm) thick. Brush the surface with melted butter, then immediately sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top in a generous, slightly thick layer.
- Roll, Squeeze, and Slice: Roll the dough tightly from the long side, tugging gently toward you to keep the spiral taut. Squeeze the roll gently to even the thickness throughout. Using a sharp knife, cut crosswise into 12 even slices.
- Tuck and Place in Pan: Take each slice, peel back about 2 inches (5cm) of the loose outer end, and fold it underneath the roll. Place each bun into a muffin cup, flap-side down. Repeat for all 12 slices.
- Bake, Flip, and Dip: Bake for 25 minutes until golden and well-risen. Immediately flip onto a wire cooling rack. While still hot, dip each bun in a shallow bowl of sugar to coat. Serve warm immediately, or reheat in a low oven.
Notes
Keep all dough ingredients cold — especially the butter and milk. Do not skip either dough rest; these are essential for a relaxed, rollable dough. Flip the muffin pan immediately out of the oven before the caramel sets. The sugar dip is done while the buns are still hot. Best served the same day, but can be rewarmed in a low oven the next morning. Excellent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Cuisine: Bakery, British
Nutrition
- Calories: 380
- Sodium: 310
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 48
