PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKE ROLL

Peanut butter cup cake roll is the perfect cake for peanut butter and chocolate lovers. This easy cake roll recipe is rich chocolate cake filled with creamy peanut butter filling. It’s topped with chocolate ganache and covered in peanut butter cups!

WHY did it take me so long to make a peanut butter cake roll??!!

Basically, this is the BEST CAKE ROLL EVER.

Thanksgiving is on Thursday. (EEK!) Are you ready? I most certainly am not. I’ve still got work to do, groceries to buy, and I’m having a bunch of the Sacramento bloggers over for a party tomorrow. But while I am stressing over Thanksgiving dinner, I’m not worried about dessert. This bad boy is in the freezer, just waiting to be attacked with forks.

Last week I told Mel I wanted to make a how to make a cake roll video. I was trying to decide what flavor cake roll to make and he was all, “Duh. Peanut butter!”

That man is so smart. I think it’s why I love him so much. (That, and he’s funny. And cute.)

I realized that, in all the cake rolls I’ve ever made (and there are a lot of them), I’ve never made one with peanut butter. !!??

I’m making it up to you all with this cake roll recipe.

IT’S A PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKE ROLL: CHOCOLATE CAKE FILLED WITH PEANUT BUTTER CUP FILLING. THEN IT’S GLAZED WITH GANACHE AND TOPPED WITH MORE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS.

You’ll notice this has the “Mel ate it” tag. Because, obviously.

Cake rolls are really easy to make. They’re that dessert that everyone oooohs and aaaaahs over. They think you’re Houdini or something because, you know, you got filling inside a cake roll. It’s magic!

(Do you ever eat a ho-ho and picture a hundred factory workers rolling tiny cake rolls? I totally do. I know it’s all machines, but don’t kill my fun.)

I promise you, the peanut butter cup cake roll is easy to make. The recipe is a little time intensive, just because of all the cooling and waiting, but the recipe itself is EASY. You can make the cake batter with a hand mixer and one bowl, and the same goes for the filling. The only thing special you need for this recipe is the right pan. If you order yourself a jelly roll pan today, you’ll have it in time for Thanksgiving (well, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, that is).

However, in case you’ve never seen my photo tutorial on making a cake roll, I decided to make you a how-to video. You can check it out below.

But before you go, remember the rules of cake roll making:

It’s better to overbake the cake then under bake it.
Roll it while it’s hot. (That’s a song, right?)
If you don’t get powdered sugar all over the far wall of your kitchen when you flip over your cake, you may not have used enough on your towel. 😉
Again, roll it while it’s hot. (I can’t help it, it’s catchy.)
Be sure to chill it before you frost and or slice it. This gives the filling time to firm up a bit so it doesn’t squish out when you cut it.
You can always top this with a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of ganache.
If it cracks, it could be for so many reasons. Not cooked enough, over cooked, humid air, dry air, Mercury is in retrograde, etc. Just use some filling to paste it together and add more ganache and peanut butter cups on top. NO ONE WILL KNOW.

PLEASE, USE THE NEXT PAGE BUTTON BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

SERVINGS: 12 SERVINGS

PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKE ROLL

prep time:2 HRS 45 MINScook time:15 MINStotal time:3 HRSThis Peanut Butter Cup Cake Roll is like a Reese’s in cake roll form! Chocolate cake filled with peanut butter cup filling – it’s such an easy recipe!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons brewed coffee — or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
Powdered sugar — to aid in rolling

FOR THE FILLING & TOPPING:

2 ounces cream cheese — softened
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons + 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
7 regular size Reese’s peanut butter cups — chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Cake: preheat oven to 350°F. Line a jelly roll (10×15”) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (I like to use the spray with flour).
Beat eggs at high speed for 3 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, coffee or water, and vanilla extract. Mix in cocoa, salt, and baking powder, then mix in flour. Stir just until blended.
Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done because if you lightly poke the top with your fingertip it will slightly bounce back.
While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully.
Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour (or you can wrap it and chill it overnight).
Make the Filling: beat cream cheese and peanut butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until crumbly, then add vanilla and 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Mix until smooth and a spreadable consistency, adding up to 2 additional tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups.
Assemble Cake: Unroll the cooled cake carefully and then spread the filling on the cake, leaving 1” without filling at either end. Re-roll cake, scooping out any filling that spills out as you roll. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before frosting.
Make the topping: place chocolate chips and 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for about 30-60 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Chill for about 20 minutes or freeze for 10, until it thickens to a pourable but not watery consistency.
Place cake roll on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet. Pour the ganache over the cake evenly. Top with remaining chopped peanut butter cups. Chill until set. Slice and serve.
May be stored, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Amount per serving (1 slice) — Calories: 394, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 948mg, Carbohydrates: 49g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 39g, Protein: 6g