Cake Batter Cinnamon Rolls

The best boxed cake mix of all time can now be enjoyed for breakfast! With cake mix in the dough, filling, and icing.

When my friend Stephanie asked me to make cinnamon rolls for her Easter brunch on Sunday, it came as no surprise that I wanted to make some sort of crazy flavored cinnamon rolls. Had she asked anyone else she would’ve gotten traditional cinnamon rolls, but it’s me and any excuse to make a fun new recipe is pounced upon!

I first was torn between making raspberry or cake batter rolls, so I tweeted my dilemma only to realize how dumb of a question it was when I immediately got two votes for cake batter. Sure raspberry rolls sound delicious, but who can pass up anything involving cake batter? These cinnamon rolls not only are stuffed with cake batter flavor, but the dry mix is also in the dough itself and in the frosting! It’s cake batter mayhem.

By the way NYC ladies (particularly Tara), does this plate look familiar?

One year ago: Dark Chocolate Nonpareil Peanut Butter Cookies

CAKE BATTER CINNAMON ROLLS

Makes 24 rolls

DOUGH

1 box white cake mix, dry

2 pkg (4-1/2 tsp) active dry yeast

2-1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups bread flour

FILLING

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white cake mix

Cinnamon

Sprinkles

FROSTING

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup white cake mix (heat treated*)

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 Tbsp milk

Sprinkles

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, measure out 2-1/2 cups warm water. Pour in the 2 packets of active dry yeast and let it activate and foam up.
2. Add cake mix, salt, vanilla and bread flour. Use dough hook attachment to knead dough together, just for a minute or two.
3. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough inside. Cover with saran wrap. Let sit for an hour until doubled in size. Punch dough down with fists and cover again and let rise for an additional hour until double in size.
4. Once dough has gone through its second rise, remove and placed on a clean floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle shape measuring about 24 X 12 inches.
5. Smear softened butter over top. Next evenly sprinkle, distribute and rub brown sugar over top. Then sprinkle yellow cake mix evenly over top of that. Rub gently to evenly cover if needed. Next sprinkle with desired about of cinnamon and sprinkles.
6. On one of the long sides, roll up to make a long and skinny log. Slice into 24 even 1-inch rolls.
7. Place in a greased 9×13 baking pan, 12 rolls per pan. (You can place them in the fridge overnight at this point on continue on.)
8. Cover with plastic wrap and let cinnamon rolls rise a final time in the pan, about 30 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
9. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
10. While cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cake batter frosting. In a large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, cake mix, vanilla and milk. Add more powdered sugar/milk until desired consistency is reached. Add in as many sprinkles as desired.
11. Spread frosting over warm rolls. Sprinkle with additional sprinkles if desired.

*Raw eggs are not the only possible source of bacterial contamination, raw flour is also a culprit. Heat treat by heating in microwave to 160 degrees F – about 1 minute stirring every 15 seconds.

Source: Adapted slightly from Chef in Training.

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