Raspberry Rose Cheesecake Buns (Printable)

Fluffy sweet buns stuffed with rose cream cheese filling and tangy raspberry compote

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¼ cup caster sugar
03 - 2 ¼ tsp instant dry yeast
04 - ¼ tsp salt
05 - scant 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 4 tbsp 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 - 1 ½ cups 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 edible rose petals

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, caster sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add lukewarm whole milk, softened unsalted butter, and large egg. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand or with electric mixer for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
02 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine fresh or frozen raspberries, caster sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat room temperature cream cheese with icing sugar, rose water, and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. Ensure no lumps remain. Set aside until ready to assemble buns.
04 - Punch down risen dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a small disc and arrange on a parchment-lined baking tray. Create a deep indentation in the center of each disc using your fingers or the back of a spoon. Spoon 1–2 teaspoons of cheesecake filling into each indentation, then top with 1 teaspoon of cooled raspberry compote.
05 - Cover the filled buns loosely with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 30–40 minutes until puffy and visibly expanded.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the dough edges of each bun with milk using a pastry brush. Sprinkle demerara sugar over the tops if desired. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly on the baking tray, then garnish with chopped pistachios or dried rose petals.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of tangy cheesecake and floral rose creates something sophisticated yet utterly comforting
  • These buns transform a simple afternoon tea into something that feels like a special occasion
02 -
  • Warm milk should feel like bath temperature, hot milk kills yeast and cold milk makes it sluggish
  • The indentation needs to be deeper than you think because the filling expands during baking
03 -
  • If your dough feels too sticky while kneading, add just a tablespoon of flour at a time
  • The indentations will rise again during proofing, so make them deeper than seems necessary

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