Raspberry Rose Cheesecake Buns (Printable Version)

Fluffy yeast buns with creamy rose cheesecake and tangy raspberry compote filling

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¼ cup caster sugar
03 - 2 ¼ tsp instant dry yeast
04 - ¼ tsp salt
05 - 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1 large egg

→ Cheesecake Filling

08 - 7 oz cream cheese, room temperature
09 - ¼ cup icing sugar
10 - 1 tsp rose water
11 - 1 egg yolk

→ Raspberry Compote

12 - 5 oz fresh or frozen raspberries
13 - 3 tbsp caster sugar
14 - 1 tbsp lemon juice

→ Topping

15 - 1 tbsp milk for brushing
16 - 1 tbsp demerara sugar
17 - 2 tbsp chopped pistachios or dried rose petals

# How-To:

01 - Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour in lukewarm milk, add softened butter and egg. Mix until shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand or stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic and let rise in warm area for 1 hour until doubled.
02 - Place raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to jam-like consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.
03 - Beat cream cheese with icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Add rose water and egg yolk, continue mixing until fully incorporated and glossy. Refrigerate until ready to assemble buns.
04 - Punch down risen dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Flatten each piece into small disc approximately 4 inches diameter. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet. Press deep indentation in center of each disc using thumb or spoon. Fill each depression with 1-2 tsp cheesecake filling, then top with 1 tsp cooled raspberry compote.
05 - Cover baking tray loosely with clean towel. Let buns rise for 30-40 minutes until noticeably puffy and expanded. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
06 - Brush exposed dough edges with milk using pastry brush. Sprinkle demerara sugar over tops if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before garnishing with pistachios or rose petals.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The rose water adds this subtle floral perfume that makes every bite feel like a special occasion, but it's not overpowering or perfume-like
  • These buns strike that perfect balance between pillowy sweet bread and tangy creamy filling, hitting every craving at once
02 -
  • The indentation you make for the filling needs to be deeper than you think because the dough will puff up during baking and shrink the well
  • Your compote must be completely cold before filling the buns, otherwise it will melt the cheesecake filling and make a mess everywhere
03 -
  • Use a small cookie scoop or melon baller to portion the filling evenly, which keeps the buns consistent and prevents overfilling
  • Let the buns cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, otherwise the filling will be too runny and messy to eat

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