Description
Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Rolls combine the luscious creaminess of cheesecake with sweet, tangy strawberries wrapped in soft, fluffy sweet roll dough. Topped with a buttery shortcake-style crumble and a vanilla glaze, these delightful rolls offer a perfect balance of textures and flavors, ideal for brunch, dessert, or a special treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Roll Dough:
- 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk (about 43°C / 110°F)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or neutral oil (for greasing bowl)
Cheesecake Filling:
- 225 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Strawberry Layer:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp water (if needed to help dissolve cornstarch)
Butter-Sugar Filling:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
Shortcake-Style Crumble:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional Garnish:
- Extra fresh strawberries, sliced
- Dusting of powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the sweet roll dough: In a small bowl, combine warm milk and sugar, sprinkle yeast over, stir gently, and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups flour and salt. Add melted butter, egg, vanilla, and yeast mixture; stir or mix with dough hook until dough forms. Add remaining flour gradually if dough is too sticky. Knead dough by hand for 6-8 minutes or 4-5 minutes with mixer until smooth and elastic. Oil a bowl, place dough inside, cover, and let rise 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and beat until smooth. Chill until use.
- Prepare the strawberry layer: Combine chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5-7 minutes until softened. Mix cornstarch with water until smooth, add to strawberries, cook 1-2 minutes until thickened into a jam-like consistency. Cool completely.
- Make the butter-sugar filling: Mix softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until spreadable. Set aside at room temperature.
- Prepare the shortcake-style crumble: Whisk flour, sugars, and salt in a bowl. Add cold butter and vanilla, cut butter in until coarse crumbs form with pea-sized pieces. Chill crumble in refrigerator.
- Shape the rolls: Punch down risen dough. Roll into 30 x 40 cm rectangle. Spread butter-sugar filling, then cheesecake filling, and finally the strawberry layer evenly over dough, leaving a small border. Roll dough tightly into a log, pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 rolls and place in greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish with space between.
- Second rise: Cover rolls with plastic wrap or towel; let rise 30-45 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Sprinkle crumble over rolls, pressing lightly. Bake 25-32 minutes until golden and centers set, tenting with foil if browning too fast. Cool in pan 15-20 minutes.
- Make the glaze: Mix powdered sugar, 2 tbsp cream/milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency if needed. Drizzle over warm rolls.
- Serve: Optionally garnish with sliced strawberries and powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Storage and reheating: Store covered in refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave 15-25 seconds or in oven at 150°C (300°F) covered for 10 minutes. Add fresh strawberries or more glaze before serving leftover rolls.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best dough results.
- Make sure strawberry mixture is thick enough to prevent leaking.
- Do not overmoisten crumble; use milk sparingly if needed.
- For neat slices, allow rolls to cool more completely before cutting.
- Store refrigerated due to cream cheese filling to keep rolls fresh and safe.
- Can substitute light cream for heavy cream in glaze for a lighter finish.
