Pink Cinnamon Rolls

I wanted to do something special for the kids for Valentine's Day, especially since they were home from school that day! So, I decided to get up early and make these pink cinnamon rolls!! Oh, they were so heavenly... Loaded with calories, but worth every bite! I definitely will not be making them for breakfast again though since they took FOREVER, with all the rising, punching, rising again - you know the drill! I think that these will be an afternoon snack type of thing from now on - just to save on mom's sanity!

Pink Cinnamon Rolls
(recipe found on pinterest via lovefromtheoven.com)

Cinnamon Rolls
1 box of white or yellow cake mix
2 packages of dry yeast
2 1/2 cups of warm water
pink food coloring, if making them pink
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour

Filling
2 cups brown sugar (or granulated sugar if you are trying to keep the pink color)
Cinnamon
1/2-1 cup butter, softened

Frosting
1 can Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Frosting Starter
1 packet Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Cinnamon Roll Flavor Mix
(or I used my cream cheese frosting recipe)

Mix yeast and warm water until dissolved. Combine cake mix, salt and flour in a large bowl. Add warm water/yeast mixture and vanilla (and food coloring if you are making it a pink color) to cake mix, salt and flour mixture. Mix well. This may require kneading with your hands a bit to completely combine ingredients. Cover tightly. Let rise for one hour. Punch down and let rise again for another 30-60 minutes. On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle shape, approx 1/4″ thick. Once dough is rolled out, brush with softened butter. I only used about half of a stick of butter for mine. Sprinkle with brown sugar (or granulated sugar if you are making a colored cinnamon roll). Sprinkle with cinnamon, as much as you want. Starting at end opposite from you, roll the dough towards you until all dough is rolled into one long piece. Slice dough into 24 equal sized pieces. Place rolls in two greased 9×13 pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Prepare your Frosting Creations Cinnamon Roll frosting. If you prefer your frosting to melt into your rolls, frost after rolls have cooled for 10-15 minutes. If you prefer your frosting to stay on top of your rolls, wait until rolls have cooled until frosting.