This is far easier than you think – so don’t be intimated by the number of steps in the below recipes! (haha). I’ve sectioned the recipe into three parts – the chocolate sponge, the peanut butter mousse filling, and then the chocolate ganache!
If you’re a fan of Reese’s chocolate or the chocolate-peanut butter combo in general then THIS IS 1000% FOR YOU! It screams chocolate and peanut butter so, yes, it’s rich, decadent, and addictive.
I also think it’s necessary for every home cook, who loves to bake, to conquer the Swiss roll or cake roll. You can play around with whatever fillings and toppings you’re currently fancying.
BUT I’ll be honest, when I was shooting the recipe video for this one (as well as taking shots for this recipe’s cover image) I added twice the amount of peanut butter mousse filling (I was feeling a little greedy), but this resulted in a Swiss roll that was heavier – delicious, but heavier. So the adjusted recipe below will result in a Swiss roll that has just the right amount of sponge/filling/topping ratio and you’ll have more of a ‘swirl’ than seen in the image. If you want MORE peanut butter action in your swiss roll then feel free to double the mousse filling but beware, rolling that bad boy up before pouring over the ganache will be a bit tricky, but worth it.
Don’t get me wrong, we DEVOURED the whole thing – I even added chucks of it to some homemade ice cream I made but you have options here, go the conservative route or double down on that filling, remember, you’re the Chef!
Check out the quick video below the recipes to see what you’ll be making!
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs separated
- 135 g light brown sugar divided
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 65 g all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 40 g butter melted
- 1 tbsp espresso
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a 12×17-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or butter, then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases in step 5.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites and 1/3rd of granulated sugar together in a medium bowl on high speed for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, remaining sugar, and vanilla extract together until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Sift the flour, 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Add the melted butter and coffee and beat everything together on medium speed until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold in the egg whites until completely combined. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those whites. The batter will be very light.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. It will be a very thin layer. Shimmy the pan on the counter to smooth out the top. Bake for 10 minutes or until the top of the cake gently springs back when touched with your finger. Do NOT over-bake.
- As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin kitchen/tea towel flat on the counter. (Note: I find a kitchen towel is better to help prevent cracking.) Using a fine mesh sieve, dust parchment/towel with 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. Once the cake comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife around the edges to loosen it.
- Immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked. Starting with the narrow end, begin tightly rolling the hot cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 3 hours and up to 1 day. (Note that you must bring it back to room temperature before unrolling, so make sure you set aside enough time.)
- Bring the cake to room temperature if it was in the refrigerator. The cake is prone to cracking if unrolled while cold.
- Prepare the peanut butter mousse filling and chocolate ganache while you wait for the cake roll to reach room temp.
- Slowly and gently unroll the cake. Spread peanut butter mousse filling evenly on top of the cake. Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet (to catch the extra ganache). You can place the filled cake roll in the refrigerator while you prepare the ganache.
- Pour ganache all over cake roll. Feel free to spoon up any dripped ganache and spoon over the cake again. Refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing and serving. I find it best when the cake has settled in the fridge for a day. But I totally understand if you can't wait!
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 115 g semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the cream in a medium heatproof bowl and warm in the microwave.
- Add in the chopped chocolate and mix until the chocolate has fully melted.
- Pour the ganache all over the Swiss roll. Feel free to warm the mixture if it's thickened faster than expected.