Rolling Rolling Rolling, Part 2

The love for chocolate and peanut butter together runs deep in many people, my brother in law happens to be one of them.   If I sign my self up for desserts at family dinners with the in-laws, which I do quite often.   I try to make two desserts and ensure one has chocolate and peanut butter.   Back when I was planning my Christmas party desserts I had the idea to make a chocolate roll cake with orange chocolate pieces but instead I made the orange brownie cheesecake.   So when I was trying think of a dessert that I could create that used peanut butter cups, the light bulb went off.   What about a Chocolate Peanut Butter Roll cake, Genius!

I did a bit of searching for this recipe through the web and my cookbooks with several little variations across them all.  I was actually trying to find a recipe that did not involve egg separation but that does not seem to exist for chocolate, so I randomly choose a recipe from the web that seem to have several good ratings attached to it.

 INGREDIENTS : 

 Cake

• 1/3 cup cake flour  ( I used AP)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 2 tbsp cornstarch 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 4 large eggs - whites and yolks will be separated
• 1 cup white sugar, divided 
• Icing sugar  

Filling

• 2 cups (226 g) Icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 oz of dark or semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 oz peanut butter
• Peanut Butter Cups , chopped (Not to be melted)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1) Make The Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and line with parchment  a 15 x 11inch pan. In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Separate egg yolks and whites.  Using your mixer or electric mixer set on a medium speed, beat separated egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. 

2) In a small bowl using a electric whisk (see my product plug below) beat egg whites on high until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until semi stiff peaks form. 

3) Fold 1/3 beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Alternately fold in remaining whites and flour mixture. Pour batter in pan and spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. 

4) Similar to the pumpkin roll cake, sprinkle a towel with a generous amount of icing sugar and turn the cake out onto the towel.  Remove the parchment and sprinkle the cake with icing.    Roll up the cake in the towel and place seam side down on a rack to cool. 

5) Make the Icing : while the cake is cooling melt the chocolate and peanut butter together using a double boiler ( a bowl sitting on top of a pot with simmering water, do not let bowl touch water).    Let cool slightly.   Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth.   Add the vanilla and chocolate until combined.    If the icing is too stiff to spread nicely on the cake add a teaspoon or two of milk. 

6) Unroll the cake and spread the icing over cake leaving about 1/2 inch at the edges.  Add the chopped peanut butter cups op top of the icing.  Re-roll cake; place seam-side down on a plate. Dust with icing sugar or cocoa before serving. 

Similar to the pumpkin when I quickly peeked at this cake in the oven I thought this was not going to work as it looked puffy, however once I turned it out on the towel I could see it was pliable.   This cake can try out fairly quickly though so do not over cook this or it can crack easily in the roll.   Although this cake was amazing, I think it was really the peanut butter icing and cups that made it.  I might try to find a better chocolate sponge recipe in the future.    I will also let you know that I don't always measure my icing recipes and I often piece it together by taste so the recipe for filling is really just a base where start and then make adjustments from there. I may add more or less chocolate, sometimes I use cocoa instead of chocolate or even use part shortening, part butter at the same starting weights.   I like to fine tune depending on what I am using the icing for.   

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!    (only 4 E's b/c I want to change the cake layer)

MEG's PRODUCT REVIEW :

The Braun Hand Mixer with whisk attachment

Now I am sure everyone has seen the hand blender and used it to make soup or shakes but that is not the best thing about the hand blender.    What is you ask?    The WHISK attachment.   This is seriously one of my favorite kitchen friends.   It is so useful, easy and fast!    It can whip eggs into a stiff peak in no time and make whipped cream in less than a minute it seems.   If I ever need to whip or whisk anything super quick I just "whip" this out right away and it's done.  (Ha. Bad joke) If you don't happen to have a hand blender and you are considering getting one make sure it has the whisk attachment.   You won't be sorry!