CAKE MIX LEMON SWEET ROLLS

Good morning! If your week has been anything like mine, your in need of a pick me up and a little sunshine :) Today I have just the thing for you, Lemon Rolls or we could just call them sunshine rolls!
A few weeks ago Christy at Made From The Oven posted some easy cinnamon rolls made from a cake mix. She even tried some in chocolate and added sprinkles for a birthday cinnamon roll. I knew I had to try out her recipe, and I'm so glad I did!

When I went to pull out a cake mix from my baking cabinet and came across the lemon cake mix I've been avoiding. I never really like lemon desserts but I bought the cake mix telling myself I needed to try to make a summery treat with it. I've never had a lemon roll before...so why not give it a try.
The result was shocking. Seriously. Amazing. I was really shocked how much everybody loved these, even though most everybody had claimed to not care for lemon.

I started with Christy's orignial recipe then swaped out the cake flavor, extract, and the filling. I topped it with a Duncan Hines vanilla glaze, another item that's been patiently waiting to be tested in the cabinet. It was light, not too sweet, not too tart, and such a great twist on a breakfast classic! The vanilla glaze was super easy and worked perfectly, a cream cheese icing would also be perfect.

It may sound crazy, but using a cake mix as the basis for sweet breakfast rolls is my favorite way to make these delicious breakfast treats. And really, why just eat them for breakfast?

And these Cake Mix Lemon Sweet Rolls are perfect any time of day–including for dessert or late night sugar cravings. Let’s just say they’re pretty irresistible.

I don’t know what it is about using a cake mix (probably all the preservatives) but these sweet rolls stay soft for days. Of course, they probably won’t last that long.

At least not if your family loves them as much as mine did!

Ingredients
Rolls

• 1 box of lemon cake mix
• 2 packages of rapid rise dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups of very warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 cups flour

Filling

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• Zest from one lemon
• 1 package Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding Mix

Frosting

• 1 package (8 ouncePHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese softened
• 1/4 cup (1/2 sticbutter softened
• 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
• 3 1/2 - 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3-5 TBSP milk

Instructions
Rolls

1. Mix yeast and warm water until dissolved.
2. Combine cake mix, salt and flour in a large bowl.
3. Add warm water/yeast mixture and vanilla to cake mix, salt and flour mixture. Mix well. This may require kneading with your hands a bit to completely combine ingredients.
4. Cover tightly. Let rise for one hour. Punch down and let rise again for another 30-60 minutes.
5. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one half of dough into a rectangle shape, approx 1/4? thick.
6. Once dough is rolled out, brush with half of softened butter.
7. Combine white sugar, lemon zest and JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding Mix in a bowl, stirring until well combined.
8. Sprinkle half of the sugar, lemon zest and JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding mix over buttered dough.
9. Starting at end opposite from you, roll the dough towards you until all dough is rolled into one long piece.
10. Slice dough into 12 equal sized pieces. Place 12 rolls into a 13x9 inch pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking oil.
11. Repeat process with remaining dough to make the second pan of lemon rolls.
12. Cover and let both pans rise until almost doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes. Don't worry if rolls don't completely double in size, they will continue to rise while baking.
13. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
14. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until lightly brown.
15. While rolls are baking, prepare your frosting.
16. Remove from oven and either frost immediately if you would like frosting to melt into rolls, or wait until rolls have cooled, then frost.

Frosting

1. Beat cream cheese, softened butter and lemon extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix until well combined. Add in your confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
2. Add in three tablespoons milk, and mix until very well combined. If you desire a thinner frosting, add additional two tablespoons of milk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Store rolls in refrigerator.