A dense, moist almond cake without flour, traditionally decorated with the Cross of St James in icing sugar. The proud cake of Galicia, eaten by pilgrims at the end of the Camino de Santiago.
Tarta de Santiago
Region: Galicia
Tarta de Santiago
Region: Galicia
Method
01
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a springform tin of approx. 24 cm with butter and line the base with baking parchment.
02
Whisk the eggs
Whisk the eggs with the sugar for approx. 5 minutes until light, airy and pale.
03
Mix
Gently fold the ground almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon into the egg mixture to a smooth batter.
04
Bake
Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs; the cake should stay moist inside.
05
Cool
Leave to cool completely in the tin before you take it out; the cake is fragile while it is warm.
06
Decorate
If you like, lay a stencil of the Cross of St James on the cake and dust generously with icing sugar. Carefully lift off the stencil for the recognisable motif.
07
Serve
Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature, with a glass of sweet sherry if you like.
Tips & notes
This cake naturally contains no flour, so it is suitable for anyone who cannot tolerate gluten; do check carefully whether the ground almonds are certified gluten-free if that matters. Really let the cake cool completely before you take it out of the tin; warm, it breaks easily. Keep the cake for a maximum of 4 days in an airtight tin at room temperature; it also freezes well.
Variations
- Add a splash of amaretto or sherry to the batter for extra depth.
- Replace the lemon zest with orange zest for a sweeter citrus note.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
Tree nuts
| Calories | 272 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
