Tarta de Santiago
A flourless Galician almond cake scented with lemon and cinnamon and finished with powdered sugar.
Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 30 min · Total: 1 hr 20 min · 8 servings
Ingredients
- 250 g finely ground almonds — Almond/tree-nut allergen; use almond flour, not almond paste.
- 5 large eggs — Keep refrigerated; egg allergen.
- 250 g granulated sugar — For the batter.
- 1 unwaxed lemon — Use the finely grated yellow zest only.
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon — Use a level measure.
- 10 g unsalted butter for the pan — For greasing; milk allergen.
- 25 g powdered sugar — For dusting only after the cake is cool.
Instructions
Heat the oven and prepare the pan
Heat the oven to 180°C conventional, or 170°C fan, with a rack in the middle. Butter the base and sides of a 22–24 cm springform pan, line the base with baking paper and butter the paper lightly. Wash and dry the lemon. Keep the eggs refrigerated until measuring begins and wash hands and surfaces after touching the shells. This cake contains egg, almond and milk from the butter.
Prepare the almond mixture
Finely grate only the yellow lemon zest; stop before the bitter white pith. In a bowl, combine the ground almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon until evenly distributed. Break up any almond clumps with the whisk. The corrected almond quantity is 250 g so the flourless cake has the intended structure.
Whisk and fold the batter
Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl, then transfer them to a large bowl so a bad shell does not spoil the batch. Add the granulated sugar and whisk with an electric mixer for 3–4 minutes until pale, thickened and able to leave a ribbon briefly on the surface. Fold in the almond mixture in three additions with a spatula just until no dry pockets remain. Do not beat after adding the almonds. Pour into the prepared pan and level gently.
Bake with the retained timer
Place the pan on the middle rack and start the retained 30-minute timer. Bake at 180°C conventional, or 170°C fan, without opening the oven during the first 25 minutes. Begin checking at 28 minutes. The cake is ready when evenly golden, slightly risen, set at the centre, and a skewer inserted in the middle emerges without liquid batter; a few moist almond crumbs are correct. The centre should reach about 93°C. If not ready at 30 minutes, bake in 2-minute intervals and recheck rather than relying on the timer alone.
The top is evenly golden, the centre is set without liquid wobble, a skewer has no wet batter and the centre is about 93°C; moist almond crumbs are acceptable.
Bake Tarta de Santiago: 1800 seconds
Cool and add the traditional finish
Set the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, release the springform ring and let the cake cool completely on the base, about 30 minutes more. Move it to a serving plate only when cool. For the traditional appearance, place a clean Cross of Saint James stencil in the centre, sift the powdered sugar evenly over the cake, then lift the stencil straight up. Do not dust a warm cake because the sugar will dissolve.
Check the centre before removing
Before removing the cake from the oven, check that the centre no longer wobbles like liquid, the top is evenly golden rather than dark, the skewer has no wet batter and the centre is about 93°C. If the edge darkens too quickly while the centre is wet, lay foil loosely over the top without touching the batter and continue in 2-minute intervals. Use oven gloves and keep the hot pan on a stable heatproof surface.
The top is evenly golden, the centre is set without liquid wobble, a skewer has no wet batter and the centre is about 93°C; moist almond crumbs are acceptable.
Slice, serve and store safely
Cut the completely cooled cake into eight wedges with a clean knife and serve at room temperature. Cover tightly after cooling and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate at 5°C or below for up to 4 days. Bring a refrigerated slice to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving; reheating is unnecessary. Discard cake with mould, fermented odour or unusual moisture.
Tips
- Fold the almonds only until combined to retain the air whisked into the eggs.
- A completely cool surface keeps the powdered-sugar design sharp.
Common mistakes
- The original 90 g almond quantity would not give this flourless cake its characteristic structure.
- Grating white lemon pith adds bitterness.
- Opening the oven early or overmixing can collapse the cake.
Substitutions
- For a different citrus note, replace half or all of the lemon zest with finely grated unwaxed orange zest; keep all other quantities unchanged.
Storage
Cover after cooling; keep at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate at 5°C or below up to 4 days.
Reheating
Do not reheat; let refrigerated slices stand at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving.
About this recipe
Tarta de Santiago is Galicia’s emblematic almond cake. Its powdered-sugar Cross of Saint James links the dessert visually with Santiago de Compostela and the pilgrimage tradition.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.