Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Roll Recipe

A deliciously moist chocolate cake base filled with a creamy peanut butter mousse filling, topped with rich smooth chocolate ganache and a bunch of surprise peanut butter cups — this chocolate peanut butter cake roll is honestly one of my all-time favorite things to make and I cannot stop thinking about it. 😍

How to Make This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Roll With Paper Towels

I know what you’re thinking — cakes and paper towels?! This might seem like an odd pairing, but I promise it works! Most cake roll tutorials call for a kitchen towel or tea towel, and honestly both methods are great. But if you don’t want to stain your favorite linen, paper towels are the move. The title of this recipe might sound fancy, but the actual process is so approachable. Think of it like a swiss roll or a classic jelly roll — just with the most ah-mazing chocolate peanut butter combination you’ve ever tasted. Like, literally the flavors of a peanut butter cup in rolled cake form. Be still my heart! 🍫🥜

Five Simple Steps to Make the Perfect Cake Roll

Here’s the big-picture overview so you can see just how doable this mouth-watering cake really is. We’re talking about a few different components that come together into one showstopping roll cake — and every single step is totally manageable, I promise!

1. Bake the cake in a 15-inch jelly roll pan (a quick 15 minutes!).
2. Invert the cake while it’s still hot onto a stack of paper towels dusted with powdered sugar.
3. Roll the cake towel jelly-roll style from the short side. Let the cake cool completely at room temperature.
4. Gently unroll the cake and spread the creamy peanut butter filling inside with an offset spatula.
5. Roll the cake back up seam side down and spread the ganache over the back of the cake and top.

Tips for Rolling a Cake (So It Doesn’t Crack!)

Okay, let’s talk about the right technique because THIS is where most people get nervous. Using paper towels instead of a traditional kitchen towel or tea towel is totally valid — you just need THREE layers minimum. Any less and the steam from the cake bakes right through the seams and tears everything apart. Not fun. Also, flour those paper towels before you invert the cake onto them — it keeps sticking at bay even with all that condensation happening. If you’re more of a traditional baker, a lightly floured tea towel works beautifully too, just like with my Carrot Cake Roll Recipe With Cream Cheese Filling!

• Use THREE layers of paper towels — seriously, don’t skip this.
• Flour the paper towels or tea towel before inverting so your cake layer doesn’t stick.
• Be extremely gentle when you unroll. Press down on the unrolled portion with one hand while gently pulling back on the rolled portion with the other.
• If cake cracks happen: press down on the crack to “smush” it back together — the creamy filling acts like glue! And once you pile on that rich smooth chocolate ganache, nobody will ever know. Don’t stress, you guys. 😂

Making the Batter and the Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

Let’s talk about the actual baking part — because this is a peanut butter lover’s dream dessert and I need you to make it ASAP. For the cake batter, you’ll combine cake mix with cocoa powder in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together your egg yolks, then add them to your mixing bowl along with 1/3 cup water. If you’re using the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment and start on low speed, then bump it up to medium speed once everything is coming together into a perfectly smooth batter. You can also use a hand mixer or handheld mixer — totally fine! In a medium bowl, beat your egg whites with a hand mixer or stand mixer at high speed until they reach stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the cake batter. Grease your 15-inch jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray, line it with parchment paper (wax paper works in a pinch!), and spread the batter all the way to the edges of the pan.

Now for the star of the show — the creamy peanut butter filling! In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy, then add creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar. In a separate small bowl, whisk cream and instant vanilla pudding mix together in a large bowl using a whisk attachment or hand mixer at medium speed until you get billowy whipped cream. Fold it into your peanut butter mixture to create the most dreamy peanut butter mousse filling. It’s a creamy sweet peanut butter filling that tastes like it came from a fancy bakery — but YOU made it in your own kitchen. 🙌 For the rich smooth chocolate ganache, melt heavy cream and chocolate chips together in a small bowl until silky and smooth, then pour over the rolled cake. Chef’s kiss.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe

Can I make this the best peanut butter cupcake roll style? You absolutely can portion it differently, but honestly the classic chocolate peanut butter roll shape is my favorite way to serve it — it slices so beautifully! Can I make this ahead? Yes! Wrap the rolled cake in plastic wrap after adding the creamy filling and refrigerate for a couple of hours (or overnight). The flavors get even MORE dreamy as they meld together. Do I need wire racks to cool it? You can absolutely use wire racks under your paper towels for better airflow! Just make sure everything is at room temperature before you start spreading that gorgeous peanut butter combination filling inside. This chocolate cake roll is truly a chocolate peanut butter roll that belongs in your regular dessert rotation — right alongside my Grandma’s Famous 6-Layer Cake and Chocolate Truffle Cookies for the chocolate lovers in your life! 🍫

More Chocolate and Peanut Butter Recipes You’ll Love

One of my favorite things about this blog is sharing all the indulgent, over-the-top desserts that make life SO good. If this mouth-watering cake has you in full dessert mode (same, honestly), you are going to want to check out these too — because the peanut butter and chocolate combo is a lifestyle, not just a recipe. 😂 And if you’re craving something with that same rich, fudgy energy, my Grandma’s Famous Chocolate Trifle is calling your name!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Cake

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifles

No Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

OLD FASHIONED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

M&M BROWNIE COOKIES

PUMPKIN PIE

BETTER THAN THIN MINTS GRASSHOPPER POKE CAKE

RITZ ROLO BARK

FLOUR PATCH CUPCAKES

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Roll

Yield: 12

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A chocolate cake roll filled with a whipped peanut butter filling topped with chocolate ganache and peanut butter cups.

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Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 15.25 ounce chocolate cake mix
• ½ cup water
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

FOR THE WHIPPED PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 12 tbsp butter, softened
• 1½ powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup Cool Whip

ADDITIONAL

• chocolate ganache (half of this recipe is plenty)
• flour for dusting
• peanut butter cups for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Make the cake

1. Whisk together the cake mix, water, eggs, and melted butter.
2. Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Spread the batter in the lined pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Roll the cake

1. Immediately after removing from the oven, invert the cake onto a stack of 3 paper towels stacked on top of each other dusted with flour (I found that 3 sections wide was the perfect length). Peel the foil or parchment from the back of the cake.
2. Start at the short end and gently roll up the paper towels and the cake together (see photos in post). Place on the counter to cool at room temperature, seam side down. If necessary, place something alongside the cake to prevent it from unrolling.

Make the frosting

1. Use an electric mixer to whisk together the butter and peanut butter until combined.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, whisking in between each addition until smooth and scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Whisk in the Cool Whip.

Assembly

1. Gently unroll the cake (leave it on the paper towel).
2. Spread the frosting on the cake and gently re-roll (without the paper towel).
3. Carefully transfer the cake roll onto a long piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap as tightly as possible, using multiple pieces of plastic wrap if needed.
4. Place the cake roll in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Once chilled, unwrap and spread the ganache on top. Add chopped peanut butter cups if desired. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

You may want to cut off the ends for a cleaner presentation when serving.

 

Notes

Calories 642 | Fat 43g | Saturated Fat 22g | Carbs 63g | Fiber 3g | Sugar 45g | Protein 8g