Soft Lemon Rolls with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese Frosting

Side view of a lemon roll with cream cheese frosting and lemon curd on top

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Soft Lemon Rolls with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese Frosting

These soft lemon rolls are made with a lemony yeast dough, filled with tangy lemon curd, and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting. Make them the same day or let them rise overnight for an easy morning bake.

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Rising time8

Total Time9 15

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 457kcal

Author: Cynthia Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

¼ cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ¼ cups bread flour plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
½ cup buttermilk room temperature
1 large egg room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Juice of ½ lemon saving the remaining half for the frosting

Filling

½ cup lemon curd homemade or store-bought plus more for finishing
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Optional before baking

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon milk plus 1 tablespoon more if needed
Pinch of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

Add the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Zest the lemon directly into the sugar, then rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers until fragrant.
Add bread flour, kosher salt, and instant yeast to the lemon sugar and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the room temperature buttermilk, egg, melted and cooled butter, and juice from half of the lemon.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a large silicone spatula to mix until the flour is mostly hydrated and a shaggy dough forms.
Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead on medium-low to medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. A small amount of dough sticking to the bottom of the bowl is fine.
If the dough is still sticking heavily to the sides of the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of bread flour and knead for another 3 minutes. Add the second tablespoon only if needed.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl or rectangular casserole dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Make the filling

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon curd and cornstarch until completely smooth.
Refrigerate the lemon curd filling while the dough rises. This helps thicken it and makes it easier to spread.

Shape the rolls

Line or butter a cast iron pan, a cake pan, or other casserole dish
Lightly flour your counter. Turn the risen dough out onto the counter and gently press out the air.
Roll the dough into a 9 inch by 12 inch rectangle. Use a bench scraper to square the sides as needed.
Spread the chilled lemon curd filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch strip bare along the far long edge.
Starting at the filled long edge, roll the dough into a log. Try to keep the roll snug without squeezing out all the lemon curd.
Pinch the seam closed across the length of the log.
Slice the dough into 8 equal rolls and place them in the prepared baking dish.
Alternatively, for a cleaner spiral, slice the filled dough into 6 to 8 strips with a knife or pizza cutter and roll each strip up individually.
Scoop up any of the lemon curd that came out of the rolls, and dollop it on top of the rolls in the pan.

Second rise

For same-day baking, cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until puffy.
For overnight lemon rolls, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight, up to 12 hours.

Bake

If the rolls were refrigerated overnight, remove them from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
If using, drizzle 2 tablespoons of heavy cream over and around the rolls.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden on top and baked through in the center.
To check the center, gently pull at the side of a middle roll with a fork. If the dough looks raw or wet, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.

Make the frosting

While the rolls bake, add cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon milk, and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl.
Beat with a hand mixer until smooth, creamy, and spreadable. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk if you want a thinner frosting.

Frost and serve

Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes.
Spread the lemon cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls.
If desired, spoon about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd on top of each roll and swirl it into the frosting.
Serve warm.

Notes

For the best lemon flavor, rub the lemon zest into the sugar before adding the flour.
Use room temperature buttermilk and egg so the dough mixes smoothly and rises well.
Do not add too much extra flour. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
Chill the lemon curd filling before spreading it on the dough so it stays in place better.
Some lemon curd may leak during rolling or slicing. Scoop it back onto the rolls or into the gaps before baking.
To make ahead, shape the rolls, cover the pan, and refrigerate overnight. Let the pan sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes before baking.
Storage: Keep lemon rolls covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes or microwave one roll for about 20 seconds.

Nutrition