Spanish Almond Cake Santiago Recipe
Tarta de Santiago is a traditional dessert from Galicia, baked with ground almonds, eggs, and sugar, without wheat flour. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela have been enjoying this simple yet richly flavored cake for centuries. The taste is a bit like a macaron in cake form – moist, almondy, and lightly citrusy.
This classic Galician cake is naturally flourless, intensely almondy, and incredibly simple to make with just a handful of ingredients. It keeps well, travels easily, and has a long pilgrim tradition connected to the Camino de Santiago.
Chef's tips
Do not overbeat the eggs – the batter should be dense, not airy, so the cake stays moist rather than sponge-like. For the best flavor, use fresh, good-quality almonds and organic lemon if possible, since you’re using the zest. Let the cake cool completely before cutting; it sets as it cools and slices more neatly.
How to serve
Serve plain with powdered sugar in the traditional style, or add a small side of fresh berries to balance the sweetness. It pairs beautifully with espresso, strong black tea, or a small glass of sherry or other dessert wine.
Ingredients
- ground almonds finely ground, blanched - 250 g
- sugar - 200 g
- egg at room temperature - 4 piece
- lemon zest zest of a whole lemon, only the yellow part - 1 piece
- ground cinnamon - 0.5 teaspoons
- almond liqueur optional, e.g. amaretto - 1 tablespoon
- butter for greasing the pan - 10 g
- wheat flour for dusting the pan, you can use ground almonds for a gluten-free version - 1 tablespoon
- powdered sugar for dusting the top - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a round pan about 22–24 cm in diameter with butter and dust with flour or ground almonds, tapping out any excess.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and grated lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork or whisk, just until the whites and yolks are combined (do not whip to a foam). Add the almond liqueur if using.
- Pour the eggs into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until you get a thick, uniform batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter).
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the pan until completely cooled.
- Before serving, generously dust with powdered sugar. Traditionally, a stencil of the Cross of Saint James is placed on top and the cake is dusted with powdered sugar, but this is not necessary for the flavor.
Storage
Ciasto przechowuj szczelnie przykryte w temperaturze pokojowej do 3 dni lub w lodówce do 5 dni. Można je mrozić w porcjach, dobrze owinięte folią.
