Chaja — Uruguayan meringue-and-cream cake
Chajá is an Uruguayan dessert: layers of sponge cake, peaches in syrup, whipped cream and dulce de leche, with billows of broken meringue across the top. It is the canonical Uruguayan birthday cake.
i. Origin & history
Chajá was created in 1927 by Orlando Castellano in the city of Paysandú, Uruguay. The cake is named for the chajá bird — a Uruguayan crane whose plumage the meringue is said to resemble.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 6 eggs
- 180 g sugar
- 180 g flour (Genoise sponge)
- 400 g peaches in syrup, drained, sliced
- 60 ml peach syrup
- 500 ml double cream
- 60 g icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 300 g dulce de leche
- 200 g meringue (whipped to stiff peaks with 100 g sugar), broken into pieces
iii. Method
- Bake Genoise sponge in a 22 cm round tin. Cool. Slice into 3 layers.
- Whip cream with icing sugar and vanilla.
- Brush bottom sponge with peach syrup. Spread dulce de leche; whipped cream; peaches. Repeat with middle sponge. Top with third sponge.
- Cover sides and top with whipped cream.
- Press broken meringue pieces all over.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Chajá pequeño is the individual portion. Modern chajá sometimes uses strawberries or guava. Heladeria Confitería Castellano in Paysandú still makes the original.
vi. Common questions
What is chaja?
Chaja is uruguayan meringue-and-cream cake, from latin american cuisine. It is the canonical Uruguayan birthday cake
Where is chaja from?
Chaja is from the latin american dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does chaja keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 days refrigerated.