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Make the Reese’s lovers in your life the ultimate treat – a decadent Flourless Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake Roll. If you are looking for the best chocolate peanut butter desserts, this is it. And nobody will believe that it is naturally gluten free!
Table of Contents
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Roll with Reese’s
- Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Make Reese’s Chocolate Cake Roll
- How do you keep a cake roll from cracking?
- Storing the Chocolate Cake Roll
- Make it in Advance
- More Tips for Success
- Things You’ll Need
- Get the Recipe
- More Recipes with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Roll with Reese’s
Chocolate and peanut butter are never a bad idea. Now triple the chocolate and triple the peanut butter, and you have a winning combination. When I saw this Peanut Butter Cup Cake Roll from Dorothy at Crazy for Crust, I knew I had to make it with my favorite flourless chocolate sponge cake. It is way too easy to be this impressive and amazing. Yes, it takes a little time and effort. But by following a few simple steps, you can make this incredible dessert.
A moist, tender sponge cake is filled with a creamy peanut butter cup mousse, then enrobed in chocolate ganache. If you don’t turn heads with this dessert, I’ll be shocked. It’s rich, indulgent, and totally worth the decadence. In addition, since it’s a flourless chocolate cake roll, it’s naturally gluten free, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Check out this review:
I made this for my husband’s birthday. He cannot have gluten, but he still loves a good rich cake, especially a chocolate and peanut butter combination! This was a delight to make and a joy to share and devour! His family doesn’t have a lot of understanding of his limitations (not because of lack of care, of course! they are amazing family) and almost bought a regular cake. This recipe saved his body and his birthday. Thank you for posting it!
Lesia
Of course, you do always want to read labels on ingredients such as vanilla extract and cocoa powder. It is important to ensure that they do not have any sneaky gluten-containing ingredients or are produced in a facility where there could be cross-contamination. But in this recipe, you don’t even have to worry about buying special gluten free flours since it is completely flourless.
Just one thing you make be wondering…
Are Peanut Butter Cups gluten free?
Hershey confirms on their website that all Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are gluten free except the seasonally shaped items, so skip the pumpkins and Christmas trees. Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups are also gluten free. That means you have no problems making this recipe as a gluten free cake roll.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake roll:
- Eggs: Separate them, and put the eggs and whites in different bowls.
- Sugar
- Cocoa powder: This is divided to use some in the cake, some for dusting the baking pan, and some for dusting a kitchen towel to roll the cake.
- Salt
- Brewed cold coffee: Leftover coffee is fine. You can also use instant coffee powder or espresso powder to make the coffee. If you prefer not to use coffee, you can just use water, but coffee does enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract
For the peanut butter filling:
- Cream cheese: Regular or light is fine, just be sure it is softened to room temperature.
- Peanut butter: You’ll want creamy for this recipe.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy cream: The exact amount will depend on how creamy you want your filling.
- Chopped Reese’s: You’ll need about 9-10 miniature peanut butter cups for the filling and about the same amount todecorate the top of the cake. You can use any size Reese’s, just make sure you end up wiuth the right finaly amount after they are chopped.
For the chocolate ganache topping:
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
How to Make Reese’s Chocolate Cake Roll
You can see how easy it is to make, but keep scrolling for some more tips and tricks to make the perfect cake roll, plus all the details in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Prepare the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a rimmed half-sheet pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with more cooking spray and dust with 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder.
Make the chocolate cake roll: Separate the eggs. With clean beaters and a large clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to form stiff peaks and set the bowl aside. In another bowl, use the mixer to beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar on high speed until thick and pale yellow. This will take several minutes – don’t rush this step! Beat in cocoa powder, salt, coffee, and vanilla. Gently fold in about a quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining egg white in three portions.
Bake the cake: Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. It will slowly spring back when lightly touched.
Cool the cake: While the cake is baking, sprinkle cocoa powder over a clean kitchen towel. After removing the cake from the oven, cool for a few minutes, and run a knife around the edges of the cake. Invert the cake onto the prepared kitchen towel and remove the parchment paper that is now on top of the cake. Starting from the short end, carefully roll the cake in the kitchen towel and allow it to cool completely.
Make the peanut butter filling: Beat cream cheese and peanut butter with a hand mixer until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar. Blend in vanilla and heavy cream and beat until it is smooth and you achieve the desired consistency. Stir in chopped peanut butter cups.
Make the chocolate ganache: Place chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 30-60 seconds. Stir until smooth. Chill in the fridge until thick and spreadable.
Assemble the cake: Carefully unroll the cake in the towel. Gently spread the peanut butter mousse filling over the top of the cake, spreading to about a half-inch from the sides. Roll up the cake from short end to short end. Place seam side down. Carefully frost the cake with the ganache and top with the remaining chopped peanut butter cups.
Chill before serving: Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Slice off the unfrosted ends, if desired.
How do you keep a cake roll from cracking?
I find this flourless cake to be more “flexible” than a traditional cake, so it is less likely to crack. However, I do take a few precautions.
Before baking the cake, line the baking pan with parchment, spray it with cooking spray, and using a small sifter, coat it completely with cocoa powder. This will ensure it comes out of the pan easily and in one piece.
While the cake is baking, lay out a kitchen towel. Using a small sifter, cover the towel with a layer of cocoa powder. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, flip it over onto the towel and peel off the parchment paper.
Then carefully roll it up in the towel and let it cool. Now all you have to do is unroll it, spread the filling inside, and roll it back up without the towel.
Storing the Chocolate Cake Roll
This cake will need to be kept refrigerated until ready to serve. But the good news is that it keeps nicely in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. I would not recommend freezing it.
Make it in Advance
As mentioned, since it is stored in the refrigerator, you can make it a day or two ahead of time. You can also make the various components in advance, then assemble it a couple of hours before serving.
The cake itself can be rolled in the towel and kept at room temperature overnight. You can cover the peanut butter musee and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a day or so. And while the ganache need time to cool, if you refrigerate it, you will have to bring it to room temperature to get it back to a spreadable consistency.
More Tips for Success
Whip fluffy egg whites: Carefully separate your egg yolks from the whites while they are still cold to help ensure you don’t get any yolk in the whites, or they will not whip well. Then let your whites come to room temperature. Wipe your bowl and beaters or whisk attachment with a bit of white vinegar to remove any traces of fat which will inhibit the whites from getting stiff.
Beat the yolks and sugar well: Make sure you give the yolks and sugar a few minutes of whipping at high speed so that they get thick and pale yellow.
Fold gently: Use a large spatula to carefully fold in the egg white in portions. This will ensure that you keep the air bubbles so that your cake gets the right amount of rise.
Use an old kitchen towel: Since you are dusting it with cocoa powder and rolling up a chocolate cake, the kitchen towel you use will get dirty. So don’t use anything that you want to keep in good condition.
Things You’ll Need
SHEET PANS: I use my favorite Nordicware baking sheets to make this flourless chocolate cake roll.
PARCHMENT PAPER: Essential for easily flipping this tender cake out of the pan and rolling it.
MESH STRAINERS: I like to use the tiny one to dust a nice, thin, even layer of coca powder over the parchment paper and the kitchen towel for rolling the cake.
SMALL OFFSET SPATULA: THe perfect size and angle for spreading the peanut butter filling inside and ganache over the outside.
Flourless Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake Roll
Ingredients
For the chocolate sponge cake:
- 8 large eggs, separated
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 Tablespoons + ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 Tablespoons brewed cold coffee (leftover is fine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- About 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups (about 9-10 miniature peanut butter cups)
For the topping:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- About 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups (about 9-10 miniature peanut butter cups)
Instructions
For the chocolate sponge cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet (jelly roll pan or half sheet pan that is 12×16 inches) with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with more cooking spray and dust with 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar on high speed until thick and pale yellow. Add 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, salt, coffee and vanilla, and beat in.
- With clean beaters and a large clean bowl beat the egg whites to form stiff peaks.
- Gently fold in about a quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- In three additions, fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. It will slowly spring back when lightly touched.
- While the cake is baking, sprinkle ¼ cup cocoa powder over a clean kitchen towel.
- After removing the cake from the oven, cool for a few minutes,and run a knife around the edges of the cake. Invert the cake onto the prepared kitchen towel and remove the parchment paper that is now on top of the cake.
- Starting from the short end, carefully roll the cake in the kitchen towel and allow to cool completely.
- While the cake is baking, make the filling and topping.
For the filling:
- Beat cream cheese and peanut butter with a hand mixer until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar.
- Add vanilla and 2 Tablespoons heavy cream and beat until smooth, adding up to an additional 2 Tablespoons heavy cream is necessary to achieve desired consistency.
- Stir in 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups.
For the topping:
- Place chocolate chips and 2/3 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 30-60 seconds. Stir until smooth.
- Chill in the fridge until thick and spreadable.
- May be stored, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
Assembling the cake:
- Carefully unroll the cake in the towel.
- Gently spread the peanut butter mousse filling over the top of the cake, spreading to about a half inch from the sides.
- Roll up the cake from short end to short end. Place seam side down.
- Carefully frost the cake with the ganache and top with the remaining chopped peanut butter cups.
- Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Slice off the unfrosted ends, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
More Recipes with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies
- Reese’s Ice Cream Cake
- Reese’s Poke Cake (with gluten free options)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies from Love From the Oven are fully loaded with chocolate and peanut butter and Reese’s.
- Peanut Butter Cup Pie from Wine and Glue is the stuff chocolate and peanut butter dreams are made of.
- Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats from Inside Bru Crew Life make the classic marshmallowy bar even better
superb
I was just looking for a decadent dessert for our dinner on Christmas Eve and this came up. YUM!!! Thanks for the idea!
Oh great, enjoy!
I make this as a double batch in a half sheet cake pan. What I get wrong is how much to increase the cook time. How can you tell when this style of cake is done baking?
I have not tried doubling it so I don’t know the time, but when you press it with your finger it will slowly spring back and feel spongy.
I want to make this, what size is the jelly roll pan to use?
I use a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.
How long does it keep and can you freeze?
You can keep it in the fridge for a few days. I would not recommend freezing it.
ahhh I love this-flourless chocolate cake means MORE chocolatey flavor!
Exactly, Kayle! I’m not sure there is such a thing as TOO much chocolate, is there? 😉
I made this for my husband’s birthday. He cannot have gluten, but he still loves a good rich cake, especially a chocolate and peanut butter combination! This was a delight to make and a joy to share and devour! His family doesn’t have a lot of understanding of his limitations (not because of lack of care, of course! they are amazing family) and almost bought a regular cake. This recipe saved his body and his birthday. Thank you for posting it!
I am so happy to hear that your husband (and everyone else!) enjoyed the cake roll, Lesia. Thank you for your comment and for rating the recipe!
This cake is awesome. Hope I can make it at home like you directed.
Roll cakes are pretty forgiving, and mistakes are easy to cover up. I’m sure yours will come out well!
It calls for 1/2 cup chopped PB cups mixed into the filling. Then it calls for remaining chopped PB cups for the top of the icing. The recipe only calls for 1/2 cup. What is the quantity for the topping?
Never mind – it’s there and I’m going to bed! Sorry…..
No need to apologize! I’m glad you found the information you needed. Enjoy the recipe!
This looks amazing, but under the filling section one of the ingredients just says “4 tablespoons.” 4 tablespoons of what?
Sorry, it must have gotten deleted by accident because it is in the instructions. Heavy cream. I fixed the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out.
Boy do these sound good. Can’t wait to make these, thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Can you make this without coffee? No one in my house likes coffee so we don’t keep any on hand.
Coffee isn’t completely necessary. It is a great ingredient to enhance chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee, so I often keep a small jar of instant coffee around in case I need to add it to recipes. But you can definitely just use water.
The cake turned out a lot thinner than I had imagined it would be. Could it be because I haven’t made a flourless cake roll before, or could I have done something wrong?
Tashina, the cake portion of a cake roll is quite thin. This is so that the cake doesn’t become too large once the filling is placed inside and the cake is rolled up.
Hello, this cake looks so good that I want to try it. It looks tricky though. I’m afraid the cake will stick to the kitchen towel. Does this really work and are there any tricks to this?
Thanks!
Joan
Hi Joan,
Cake rolls really are easy to make, and don’t let the recipe intimidate you. Use a kitchen towel that doesn’t have a lot of texture, such as a flour sack cloth. Also, you can sprinkle the towel with a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder. That will help prevent the cake from sticking to the towel.
Where did you get those blue and white checked plastic forks?
Hi Brianne! Have you ever frozen this cake for later? I want to make it for something that’s in 3 weeks but I’m not sure I’ll have time then so I was hoping to make it ahead and freeze it if possible. Thanks!
I honestly have not tried freezing it. I would guess it might be ok if you freeze with without the ganache, then add that before serving.
The recipe says it serves 16. It’s on the top, before the list of ingredients.
Maybe I missed it somewhere, but am just wondering how many servings this dessert makes. It looks wonderful!
Do you have to add the coffee?
You would need to add another liquid. You don’t taste the coffee. It really just enhances the chocolate flavor.
I really want to make this cake but wondering if you could tell me what size sheet pan you used? I have 2 different sizes and need to know which to use! Thanks!
I use a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.
I was just looking for a decadent dessert for our Valentine’s Dinner and this came up. YUM!!! Thanks for the idea!
It is super decadent – so perfect for Valentine’s Day! I hope you have a fun family celebration!
This looks amazing!!! Can I sustitute the peanutbutter cups with peanutbutter? We don’t get peanutbutter cups in South Africa.
This would still be super delicious without the peanut butter cups. Maybe you want to put some chocolate chips n the filling if you want a little textur. I had a good friend in college from South Africa!
Yay for Sunday Supper ans YAY for this cake roll!! I’m not usually a cake roll fan but THIS??! omgeee it’s perfection. i love the chocolatey cake and that pb filling! ooooh so good!
Chocolate and peanut butter is always a good idea!! Thanks girl!
Sounds absolutely delicious!! Can something else be substituted for the coffee in the cake?
You can just use water, but the bit of coffee just enhances the chocolate flavor. You don’t actually taste the coffee. I’m not a coffee-lover myeld.
I cant even…. how amazing!
Totally amazing! Thanks!
Wow so yummy~ Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on G+! Have a great week!
Kim
Thanks so much!
Wow that looks amazing! Such a rich cake roll. Anything with PB + chocolate has to be good 🙂
It’s always one of my favorite combinations!
I’m curious about the recipe. It only calls for 2 tablespoons of cocoa for the actual cake; that seems like it wouldn’t be very chocolatey.
It is a thin cake, so it actually makes it quite chocolaty.
I think it’s fabulous that you have the traditions with your children of sitting down to dinner together. Life get’s so crazy and it’s important to remember why we are a family! As for your dessert….YOWZA! I need this in my life!
I knew you’d like this one!
YUM! I’ve never tried making a cake roll before.
You should! It’s easier than you think!
I really, really want a piece of this cake!
I’m really, really glad I don’t have any more around 😉
Such a pretty dessert! Love the peanut butter and chocolate combo in a flourless cake roll!
Thank you! I love making cake rolls just for the pretty factor!
What a delicious and perfect sweet treat to end a family meal with! I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and this flourless cake roll sounds divine!
It is nice for a special occasion!
Absolutely beautiful cake roll!
Thanks so much!
We eat dinner together everybody and on a Saturday it’s with my parents also. We use it as a time to reflect on the day, teach table manners and talk about what ever is on our minds! It’s part of our routine and it will stay that way!
That is so nice that you get to have a weekly meal with your parents too!
I love the idea of the Sunday Supper Pledge – how inspiring! And this cake roll, oh my gosh! I can’t wait to make this bad boy!
Isn’t it a great idea, Roxana?! So important. And thanks!
I love anything with peanut butter and chocolate thrown together. This is a great cake!!
Me too!!
Brianne, you have totally outdone yourself with this cake. It is gorgeous! Family dinners are so important. It sometimes amazes me that they have fallen by the wayside. When my parents were kids their parents worked and they had activities and they managed to make home cooked meals happen nearly every night. Sometimes I think they were happier too … we should get back to that feeling.
Definitely a swoon-worthy dessert! What a perfect cake roll. I hope you saved me a big slice!!!
I had to send it out of my house before I ate it all!!
I love reading how important Sunday Supper to your family because we obviously share the same value.And this chocolate cake roll sounds like an awesome treat on dinner table. I’m sure everyone would love a slice of this sweet log.
It’s so important! I really hope to do my best to continue with it as my boys get older!
Es deliciosa, pronto la haré.
Mil gracias Miryam
Thank you for your nice comment, Miryam!