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Uruguayan

Chajá

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Uruguay's festive cake: light sponge moistened with syrup, layered with whipped cream and peaches and covered in crunchy pieces of meringue.

Chajá is an Uruguayan cake, ready in about 4 hours 35 minutes and made with heavy cream and peach. It serves 10 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
1 h 55 min
Rest
2 h
Total
4 h 35 min
Serves
10
Level
Intermediate
Calories
351

Ingredients

10 servings

For the sponge

For the meringue

For the filling

For the syrup

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    For the meringue, whisk the egg whites (opens in a new tab) to soft peaks, then add the sugar (opens in a new tab) gradually and whisk to a stiff, glossy meringue. Spread in rough mounds on a lined tray and bake at 100 °C for 1½ hours until dry and crisp. Cool and break into pieces.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    For the sponge, whisk the eggs (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) for 8–10 minutes until pale, thick and tripled in volume. Gently fold in the sifted flour and pour into a lined 24 cm tin. Bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes until springy. Cool and slice into two layers.

  3. Step 3

    Simmer the water and sugar (opens in a new tab) for 2 minutes to make a syrup; cool.

  4. Step 4

    Whip the cream with the sugar (opens in a new tab) to soft peaks.

    • 4 min
    Cream being whipped to soft peaks
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Moisten the bottom sponge with half the syrup, spread with dulce de leche (opens in a new tab) (if using), cream, peaches (opens in a new tab) and a handful of crushed meringue. Top with the second layer, moisten with the rest of the syrup, cover top and sides with cream and press meringue pieces all over. Chill 2 hours.

    • 15 min

About this dish

Origin
Paysandú, Uruguay · Commonly attributedCredited to a confectioner in Paysandú and named after the chajá, a crested bird of the region.More food from Uruguay
Dish
Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Whipped
Taste
sweet, creamy, fruity
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Heavy cream · Peach · Egg · Sugar · All-purpose flour · Egg white
Techniques
Baking · Simmering · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom heavy cream, dulce de leche
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg, egg white
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

351 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 179 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 7%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy351 kcal197 kcal
Protein6.2 g3.4 g
Carbohydrate46.2 g25.9 g
Net carbohydrate45 g25.2 g
Sugars36.3 g20.3 g
Added sugars30 g16.8 g
Fibre1.2 g0.7 g
Fat16.6 g9.3 g
Saturated fat9.9 g5.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol120 mg67 mg
Sodium51 mg28 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
204 mg
Calcium
45 mg
Iron
1.1 mg
Magnesium
14 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
206 µg
Vitamin C
4 mg
Vitamin D
1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
49 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: dulce de leche.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Shop-bought meringues are a perfectly acceptable shortcut.

Common mistakes

  • Assembling too far ahead — the meringue softens after about a day.

Storage

  • Refrigerate and eat within 24 hours.

Variations

  • Chajá de frutilla (Uruguay): With strawberries instead of peaches.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

For the syrup

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 40 min

    Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail for 3 seconds.

  2. Rest · about 2 h

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 1 h 55 min at 180 °C

    Springs back when lightly pressed and is just shrinking from the tin sides.

  4. Start to finish: about 4 h 35 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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