This post has been created in partnership with Food Thoughts.

Why have normal cinnamon rolls when you can have just a big one filled with chocolate? This giant chocolate cinnamon roll is a perfect mix between a pull apart bread and a cinnamon roll with lots of delicious cinnamon and chocolate layers, the ideal treat for the Easter weekend breakfast/brunch!

Giant chocolate cinnamon roll

Sometimes big is better and that’s the case right here! I love the idea of a giant cinnamon roll for breakfast because it brings sharing to a new level. This cinnamon roll is formed of many many soft and delicious layers filled with cinnamon and chocolate. When you cut into it, it’s oh so pillow-y and it almost feels like a breakfast cake. Topped with vanilla cream cheese, I just cannot think of anything better to have for breakfast!

So, what is this made of?

This giant cinnamon rolls is not different at all from normal cinnamon rolls, so the ingredients are nothing you wouldn’t be familiar with. All you’ll need is:

• Milk
• Butter
• Bread flour
• Yeast
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Cocoa powder
• Chocolate chips
• Cream Cheese
• Vanilla bean paste

Some frequently asked questions

What’s the best way to proof my dough? A great tip to have the perfect dough is to turn your oven on to the lowest temperature (mine is 50 degrees celsius) for about 2-3 minutes. We don’t want the oven to get to 50 degrees, we just want some hot air in there, you should feel warmth but should be able to touch the inside of the oven without burning your hands. This will help the dough rise quicker.

Can I leave it in the fridge overnight? Yes, you can make it the night before, however, you must keep the dough in the fridge for no longer than 16 hours. Also, make sure you leave it outside the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.

Can I freeze it? Yes! you can bake it, freeze them and then warm it up in the microwave. You can also part bake it until it has expanded (usually for half of the full baking time, so around 15 minutes) and then let it cool down completely. Then wrap it up and freeze it. The night before eating, put it in the fridge and let it defrost overnight, then bake it for the rest of the time (another 15 minutes aprox.).

Can you include the measurements in cups? I am not familiar with cups and therefore not comfortable sharing any measurements in cups. Kitchen scales are the most reliable method and I would advise getting one from Amazon to get the perfect results.

Giant Chocolate Cinnamon Roll with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 270ml of whole milk
• 60g of butter
• 500g of strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
• 14g of fast action dry yeast
• 100g of granulated sugar
• a pinch of salt
• oil, to grease

For the filling:

• 50g of light brown sugar
• 2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp of cocoa powder
• 40g butter, softened
• 150g of dark chocolate chocolate chips

For the frosting:

• 100g of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 30g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• sprinkles, optional

Method:

1. Warm up the milk and let the butter melt in it. In the meantime, mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Pour the milk and butter into the dry ingredients and mix them well until it forms dough. Knead it over a floured surface for 5 minutes, then, put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest for at least an hour or until doubled in size.
3. While the dough rises, make the filling. In a bowl, combine the brown butter, cinnamon roll and cacao powder making sure everything is evenly mixed.
4. Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle over a floured surface.
5. Spread the butter over the dough all the way to the edges and then sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and cacao mix over it, pressing it down so it sticks to the butter. Then, sprinkle over the chocolate chips.
6. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into six to seven 5 cm wide strips. Starting on one of the edges, roll up one strip, then, take that rolled up strip and place it on top of another strip, which you will then roll up again. Repeat the the process with every strip until you have one giant roll, some chocolate chips may fall out as you roll the strips, so just add them between the layers of dough. Place the giant cinnamon roll into a greased 22-23 cm springform cake tin.
7. Allow the cinnamon roll to raise for a further hour until doubled in size.
8. Once it’s doubled in size, cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown, once it’s golden brown, cover it with foil and cook for a further 10 minutes. While cooking, some spots may rise up more than others, this is completely normal, simply take it out of the oven and press it down with a spatula.
9. Once ready, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down for 10 to 15 minutes.
10. In the meantime, prepare the icing. Mix the above ingredients in a bowl, make sure you try the icing to make sure it’s sweet enough for you. If should have a creamy consistency, if it’s too thick, simply add extra milk slowly until it acquires the desire consistency.
11. Pour the icing over the warm giant cinnamon roll and enjoy!