Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

Yesterday was Cinnamon Roll Day but you can make these anytime.

I won't lie, it is a bit time consuming, but if you plan on doing stuff in between times while you are letting the dough rise it won't be so bad.

1 - 432 g golden cake mix (2 layer cake mix)
4 tsp yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour

I made half the batch birthday cake cinnamon rolls and the other half nutella cinnamon rolls.

Filling for birthday cake half:
1/4 cup butter/marg
1/2 cup brown sugar
cinnamon to taste
funfetti sprinkles

Filling for nutella half:
1/4 cup butter/marg
1/4 cup nutella
1/2 cup brown sugar
cinnamon to taste

Frosting:
1/2 cup softened butter
2 1/2 tbsps cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp 10% cream (or milk)
1/2 tsp salt

Start by sprinkling yeast over warm water and leave to activate, about 15 minutes.

Warm your oven by turning it on to it's lowest temperature for 1 minute, then turn it off.

Combine the cake mix, salt and flour together in a very large bowl. Add the water/yeast to the the dry ingredients with a spoon and finish with a little kneading by hand. You don't knead (ha ha) much!

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and place in your previously warmed oven to rise 1 hour. Wow look at how much it has risen!!

Remove from oven, gently punch down a few times, cover and return to oven for an additional 1 hour.

Now turn the dough out onto a very well floured board and roll to about 1/2" thickness. You could double one of the above filling recipes and make all the buns one flavour. Or divide the dough in half and continue.

Once the dough is rolled out spread the butter or butter/nutella leaving a 1/2" margin on one long edge.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. I also sprinkled funfetti here for the birthday cake ones but should have used more.

Roll towards the margin and pinch to seal.
Cut a total of 24 rolls and place in 2 greased 9 X 13 X 2 1/2" baking pans. I love using Baker's Joy to grease and flour pans with just one spray!

Here's where I thought...ugh, these don't look too good!

Cover and let rise somewhere where there's no draft (like the oven again, no need to warm it up again though) for yet another 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (You're up to 3 1/2 - 4 hours so far. Hope you've been doing other stuff!)

Bake in a 350 F for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool slightly.