Chocolate Cream Cheese Candycane Buns

Chocolate Cream Cheese Candycane Buns

Part of a paid collaboration with Violife

I was absolutely thrilled to collaborate with Violife to show off their new Cocospread! Full details about the campaign (and the recipe video) are available here!

These bun babies absolutely satisfy my year-round craving for cinnamon buns but LEVEL-UP that classic cream cheese frosting with Violife’s cocospread (choc vegan cream cheese in layman’s terms). Oh, did I mention they’re also chock full of the stuff? Yeah, it’s INside the buns too!

As I wanted this to be an especially festive bake, there is a whole candycane theme going on: candycane sugar sprinkled in the centre, crushed candycanes on top and peppermint extract lashings through the chocolate cream cheese topping. Don’t say I never treat you!

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE & CANDY CANE SWIRLS 

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

150g plain white flour

310g strong white bread flour

1 sachet (7g) fast action dried yeast

35g light brown sugar

10g white caster sugar

¼ tsp salt

55g dairy-free butter (plus a little extra for greasing the bowl and tin)

250ml soya milk

For the filling:

100g Violife cocospread

2 peppermint candy canes, crushed

For the topping:

50g Violife cocospread

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

2 tbsp icing sugar

Approx. 2 tbsp soya milk (extra depending on how thick you want the glaze)

3 peppermint candy canes, crushed 

Method:

1. Mix the ground flaxseed with 2 tbsp water and set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flours, yeast, sugars and salt.
3. Add the dairy-free butter and soya milk to a small saucepan and warm over a medium-low heat until the butter has just melted.
4. Add the milk and butter mix to the dry ingredients along with the flax egg and knead the dough in the bowl for 2 – 3 minutes, until it starts to form a loose ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead for 4 – 5 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and springs back when lightly pressed.
5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and rest in a warm place for 25 – 30 minutes.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle – about as thick as a £1 coin. 
7. For the filling, spread the cocospread evenly over the surface of the dough and sprinkle over the crushed candy canes.
8. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into one long scroll, cut into 9 equal sized rolls. and space evenly in a lightly greased 8 x 8-inch baking tin.
9. Cover the tin with a damp cloth and leave to proof for 30 – 40 mins or until roughly doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 185 Celsius.
10. Bake for 18-20 mins, until golden brown.
11. While the buns are cooling, whisk together all the topping ingredients apart from the crushed candy canes.
12. Once the buns are cool, drizzle over the glaze and sprinkle with the remaining crushed candy canes!