I make cinnamon rolls at least once a year in the hopes of finding a recipe I like, and no matter what recipe I follow, the results are invariably dry and almost bread-like. Since I get all my recipes from American sources, I believe it is an American tradition for homemade cinnamon rolls to be like this, not like the ones from Cinnabon, which to me are chewier, moister, definitely not dry at all, and perfect. The Cinnabon filling and frosting are also different. The frosting is also like a cross between buttercream and cream cheese frosting.

The last time I made them, a few weeks ago, I cut the rising time, added a teaspoon of cocoa powder to the filling for color, and topped them with heavy cream before baking. They still came out dry. I think the most likely culprit is the baking powder, which I actually added half of what the recipe called for. I also can't tell if the filling was cooked properly, as it soaked into the dry cinnamon rolls. What am I doing wrong?