Lemon Sweet Rolls With Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
If you are looking for a fun twist on a cinnamon roll recipe, then you need to try my lemon raspberry sweet rolls! These soft and fluffy breakfast rolls have a sweet, citrusy lemon filling and are topped with a fresh raspberry cream cheese frosting.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer - for dough and frosting. (optional but recommended)
- Rolling Pin
- small bowl - for mixing the filling.
- 18x12 inch baking dish.
- Parchment Paper - for easy cleanup.
- small blender or food processor - for blending up the raspberries.
- fine mesh strainer - for straining out the raspberry seeds before making the frosting.
- zester or grate - for zesting the lemons.
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- ¾ cup warm milk no more than 120F
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast one packet of yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature preferred
- 4 ¼ cup bread flour 510g - all purpose flour works great too*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon milk powder optional
- ½ teaspoon cardamom optional
For the lemon filling:
- ¼ cup butter soft
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 2-3 lemons zested
For the raspberry cream cheese frosting:
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tablespoon raspberry puree roughly 3 ounces of raspberries pureed and strained
- 4 cups of confectioners sugar use your judgement about how much to use, some like thinner frosting and some like thicker**
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, heat ¼ cup of butter and ¾ cup whole milk until the butter melts. Let cool to 120 or less and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the ⅓ cup of sugar and 2 ¼ teaspoon of yeast and stir with a fork. Let rest for roughly 5 minutes until the yeast has proofed (pictured)
- Mix the 4 cups of flour (use a kitchen scale for best results, salt, milk powder (optional) and cardamom (optional). Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with wet ingredients. Use a dough hook to combine the ingredients. Let the dough knead for 5-10 minutes or until in forms a cohesive, soft ball that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. I find I usually need closer to 4 ¼ cups to get my preferred results, so if you notice your dough sticking too much, add flour in 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the results you want. When the dough has finished kneading, place in a separate bowl and cover with a wet tea towel or cling wrap and let rest until doubled (roughly an hour).
- In a small blender or food processor, blend roughly ½ a cup of raspberries until smooth - this is about ½ or a 6oz container of raspberries (seeds are fine). Pour the puree into a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Use a small spoon or spatula to push the puree through the strainer so that only the seeds remain. I find that vigorously moving my spoon in circular motions helps move the process along faster. You will get about 3 tablespoon of puree.
- Using your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. It is best to use soft/room-temperature ingredients here. Scrape down the sides of the bowling mix in the raspberry puree. Once thoroughly mixed, start adding your powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I personally like my frosting a bit runnier for this type of recipe, but if you like a thicker frosting you can easily add more to the mix.
- Once your dough has sufficiently proofed, roll it out onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 18x12 inch rectangle. The dough will be roughly ¼ inch thick. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined. Spoon the mixture out onto your dough and rub it in with your hands (trust me, just use your hands). Then, roll the dough starting at the shorter, 12 inch side into a log.
- Cut the dough with a serrated knife into 12 1-inch thick pieces. Some people prefer to cut off and discard the ends of the log for a more uniform look. I don’t think this is necessary, but do whatever you like! Place in a parchment paper lined 18x12 baking dish and let rise again for 30-60 minutes. Once puffy, bake at 350F for 23-25 minutes or until it just barely starts to get golden on the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes or so before adding the frosting and topping with additional lemon zest. Enjoy!
Notes
- *start with 4 cups and then gradually add in the final ¼ cup until the desired consistency is reached (soft, smooth, and not sticking to the sides of the bowl). PLEASE use a kitchen scale for the best results!
- **Start with 2 cups of confectioners sugar and add more until you reach your preferred consistency. I prefer mine a bit runnier than a cake frosting for cinnamon rolls. Use your best judgment!
Nutrition
Calories: 507kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 8gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 1gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 534IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!