Lemon Rolls
Delicious and fluffy lemon rolls filled with a sweet lemony filling and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time 55 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Proofing Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 rolls
Calories 300 kcal
Stand Mixer
9x13-inch Casserole Dish
offset spatula
electric mixer
For the Lemon Rolls
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk warmed to about 110 degrees
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs whisked
- ½ cup unsalted butter very softened
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
For the Lemon Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter very softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese cold
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest (about ½ lemon zested)
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Lemon Rolls
To start, bloom your yeast. Mix your active dry yeast, sugar, and warm milk together and let sit for 10 minutes.
Next, in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix flour, salt and sugar together.
To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and softened butter and mix.
Add in the yeast mixture and mix until everything is blended. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl, forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for 1-1 ½ hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
For the Lemon Filling
While the dough rises, make the filling by mixing butter, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt together in a small bowl.
Assembling and Baking the Lemon Rolls
Grease a 9×13" casserole dish and set aside.
Once the dough has had a chance to rise, remove it from the bowl, punch the dough to release the air, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. It should be about ¼ inch thick.
Next, spoon the prepared filling over the dough and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
Roll up the dough tightly into a long log shape starting from the end closest to you. Cut off a bit of the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 ½ inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
Place the rolls in a greased 9×13" casserole dish and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm spot for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees about 15 minutes before the rolls are done proofing.
Once the rolls have proofed, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a light golden color.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
While they bake, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the softened butter to a medium bowl and mixing it on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
Add in the cream cheese and mix until combined on medium speed.
Sift the powdered sugar into the mixture a little at a time and mix on low speed until all is combined.
Then add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and combine on low then high speed until the frosting is fluffy.
Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
Serving: 1rollCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 200mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 400IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baking, dessert, Lemon Rolls, rolls, Sweet Rolls