Unique Party Food to Go: Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

I was surfing the internet about a year ago and printed out a bunch a recipes that I just recently came upon and this one still intrigued me, Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls which I found on recipegoldmine.com. So, I got up early this morning and made them. They were a bit sweet and because I use kosher salt sometimes it doesn't have the same bite as regular table salt so I doubled the salt in the recipe so if you use regular table salt, only use 1 tsp. Other than the salt/sweet thing which is not a big thing, I liked how they turned out and I keep thinking of all the different possibilities with the different cake mixes and the frostings . In this recipe I used a yellow cake mix, but in the future, I am thinking funfetti, or spice (possibly with pumpkin) and maybe even a lemon, chocolate or strawberry. Just not sure at this point what to use for the fillings except maybe a lemon curd for the lemon. After making them, I realized that I should have cut the dough in half and rolled them out and cut them as my working surface was not big enough to do the whole roll out like it should have been, so keep that in mind when you make them.

Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

1 (18.5 oz.) box yellow cake mix
2 1/2 cups warm water (follow temp. on yeast pkg.)
2 pkgs. dry yeast
2 tsp. kosher salt
5 cups all purpose flour

In a medium bowl (or if there is enough room in your measuring cup) add yeast to water and stir. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment add cake mix, salt and flour. Start mixing on the lowest speed and add the yeast mixture and when you are finished adding the yeast mixture increase the speed of the mixer to "2". Continue mixing at this speed until the mixture is complete combined and starts to form a ball. Remove the bowl from the mixer along with the hook attachment. Cover with a towel and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.

Cinnamon Roll filling

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

While the cinnamon rolls are rising, combine all filling ingredients except the nuts and raisins. Set aside.

After dough has risen for an hour, roll dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle about 10" x 24" (please note above that I should have rolled out into two batches due to my limited workspace. Sprinkle filling evenly onto the rolled out dough and roll up into a long log, seam side down. With a serrated knife, with a lightly sawing action cut into 1" slices and place into two greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pans. Cover with a towel and again, set in a warm spot to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When rolls have finished rising, place into oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup melted butter
2 2/3 cup powder sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. hot water.

Combine all of the ingredients except for water together with a whisk and add 2 Tbsp. hot water and whisk again, add more water if needed to make a pourable glaze.

Wait to make the glaze until the cinnamon rolls have finished cooking, or, you can microwave the glaze for a few seconds to thin it up again to drizzle over the rolls.

Ingredients for the cinnamon roll dough.

In a measuring cup, you will need 2 1/2 cups of warm water as directed on the yeast package, (mine said 100-110 degrees) and add to the water and stir. Add to the dry ingredients once the mixture is blended and looks murky.

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook not exceeding speed 2 on the mixer.

Once a ball forms, the dough is finished mixing. Remove bowl and hook from mixer.

Cover dough and place in a warm spot for 1 hour to rise.

Filling: mix together all dry ingredients

Once dry ingredients, add butter or margarine

This is the filling that is completed. Set aside

After your dough has risen, roll out onto a floured surface.

Dough should be rolled out into a rectangle shape and covered with the filling. Roll the long side of the dough to form a long log with the seam side down.

Cut off 1" slices and place into a greased pan.

Once all of the slices are cut and placed into the pans (remember, I didn't roll them out enough and should have rolled it out into two batches for the amount of space I had to work with). Ideally you should end up with about 24 slices with 12 slices per pan. Cover with a towel and place in a warm area for about an hour.