Overview
A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe (mainly in Nordic countries, but also in Austria and Germany) and North America. In Sweden it is called kanelbulle, in Denmark it is known as kanelsnegl, in Norway it is known as kanelbolle, skillingsbolle or kanelsnurr, in Finland it is known as korvapuusti, in Iceland it is known as kanilsnúður, and in Estonia it is known as kaneelirull. In Austria and Germany, it is called Zimtschnecke.
Pastry
A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun doughnut. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor.
Origins
Roman spice traders introduced the Sri Lankan cinnamon spice to Europe.
Much later, Sweden began using it in its pastries, developing the kanelbulle. Since 1999, October 4 has been promoted as Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag). Swedish kanelbulle dough typically also contains cardamom (powder or buds), giving it a distinctive flavour.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).