Tarta de Santiago

Tarta de Santiago

A traditional Galician almond cake from Santiago de Compostela, made without flour and naturally gluten-free. It is dense, moist and fragrant with lemon and cinnamon, finished with the iconic Cross of Saint James stenciled on top.

Prep

15 min

Cook

40 min

Total

55 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (9 oz (about 2¼ cups)) ground almonds, blanched, finely ground; do not substitute with almond flour if you can avoid it, as it produces a coarser texture
• •4 whole large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• •200 g (1 cup) caster sugar, fine granulated; can use regular sugar pulsed briefly in a blender
• •1 whole lemon, zest only, unwaxed if possible
• •1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for the stencil cross
• •30 g (¼ cup) icing sugar, for dusting the stencil
• •15 g (1 Tbsp) unsalted butter, to grease the tin
• •1 Tbsp fine breadcrumbs or extra ground almonds, to dust the tin; use rice flour if keeping strictly gluten-free

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease a 22 cm (9 in) round springform or loose-bottom tin with the butter, then dust with breadcrumbs or a thin layer of ground almonds so the cake releases cleanly. Line the base with parchment.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks with all of the sugar and the lemon zest until pale, thick and ribbony, about 3–4 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
3. 3 Fold the ground almonds and the 1 tsp cinnamon into the yolk mixture with a spatula until evenly combined; the batter will be very thick.
4. 4 In a separate clean bowl, whip the 4 egg whites to firm, glossy peaks (they should hold a point when the whisk is lifted).
5. 5 Stir one large spoonful of the whites into the almond batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whites in three additions, keeping the mixture as airy as possible. Do not overmix.
6. 6 Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, level the surface with a spatula and tap the tin once on the counter to release large air bubbles.
7. 7 Bake on the middle rack for 35–40 minutes. The cake is done when the top is golden brown, springs back lightly to a fingertip, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs (internal temperature about 95°C / 205°F). It should still feel slightly soft in the middle; it will set as it cools.
8. 8 Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack, then unmould. The centre will sink very slightly as it cools — this is traditional.
9. 9 To decorate, place the Cross of Saint James stencil (a paper template or purchased stencil) flat on the cake. Sift icing sugar generously over the whole surface, then carefully lift the stencil straight up to reveal the cross. Alternatively, lightly score a cross through a first dusting of icing sugar and dust again.
10. 10 Serve at room temperature, in slim wedges, with a small glass of sweet Galician wine or espresso. Keeps well, covered, for 3 days at room temperature.