Ingredients
Rum syrup
Method
1.Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.
2.Pour condensed milk into a 1.5-litre (6-cup) ceramic ovenproof dish. Cover dish with foil; crush excess foil upwards. Place ceramic dish in a medium baking dish; add enough boiling water to come halfway up side of the ceramic dish. Bake for 1 hour.
3.Stir mixture; cover, bake a further 30 minutes or until a golden caramel colour, adding extra boiling water to baking dish as needed to maintain water level during baking. Remove dish from water. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until mixture is cold.
4.Reduce oven to 160°C/320°F. Using the base of a 20cm (8-inch) round sandwich cake pan as a guide, cut two rounds of baking paper; spray one side of each round with oil. Line two pans with paper, oiled-side down. Do not oil the side of the pans.
5.Beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Add extract and the water; beat until just incorporated. Sift flours over egg mixture but don’t stir in.
6.Beat egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining caster sugar, beating until firm peaks form.
7.Using a large balloon whisk or metal spoon, gently mix one-third of the egg white mixture into yolk mixture until starting to combine. Mix in remaining egg white mixture until just combined. Divide mixture evenly between pans; spin pans on a work surface to level mixture.
8.Bake cakes for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, rotating and swapping cakes on shelves halfway through cooking time. Carefully loosen the sides of cake from pans with a spatula before turning, turn top-side down, onto lightly greased baking-paper-covered wire racks. Cool.
9.Meanwhile, to make rum syrup, stir sugar and the water in a small heavy-based saucepan over low heat, without simmering, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in rum.
10.Level top of cakes; split cakes in half. Place base of one cake on a cake plate, brush generously with syrup.
11.Using a metal palette knife dipped in hot water, evenly spread one-third of the caramel over cake. Repeat layering twice more with cake, syrup and caramel, finishing with remaining cake.
12.Beat cream and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread cream thickly all over cake.
13.Using cupped hands, press crushed meringue onto top and side of cake. Top cake with kiwifruit.
Postre chajá was created by the owner of a family restaurant in Uruguay. He called his mergingue-based dessert ‘chajá’ after an indigenous bird of the same name, whose abundant white plumage reminded him of the meringue. For even cake layers, weigh the cake batter and put exactly half into each cake pan. Cake can be assembled without the cream, meringue and fruit, up to 2 days ahead.
Note
Related stories
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Subscribe and save up to 38%
Get more food and recipe ideas delivered straight to your door
