Tarta de Santiago is an almond cake from Spain that couldn't be easier to make. It's naturally gluten free, with a little brightness from lemon and lovely sweet, soft texture. Great for coffee time or dessert.
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Many people who travel to Spain either just head to a beach town or if they go to a city, visit Barcelona or maybe Madrid. Don't get me wrong, I love all of those (I lived in Madrid a while and have seen my share of Spanish beaches).
However Spain has so many more sights, experiences and flavors to enjoy around the country.
A pilgrimage destination
Santiago de Compostela in the Northwest is probably best known as the end point of the Camino de Santiago. It's a long trail, traditionally a pilgrimage, that is said to follow the path of St James leading to the cathedral that holds a shrine to him. To be more precise, it's more of a network of trails as you can come from a few directions.
The most popular is the "Camino Frances" which, despite the name, mainly travels across Northern Spain. It starts just over the border in France (giving it the name) and, depending on your pace, will take 5 days or more to cover the minimum 100km to qualify for a certificate of completion (though the full route from the border is 790km).
I have memories of being in Santiago de Compostela in the square in front of the cathedral and seeing groups of people arriving. You could very clearly tell who had traveled along the trail, not just because of the boots and packs on their backs, but the sheer joy and relief at the sight of the cathedral. They'd reached their destination.
And I have to say, the cathedral was one impressive sight, whether you'd hiked the trail or not. On my couple visits, it was one of the things that I really loved about the small town, along with the covered stone colonnades and delicious food.
True, food is a big part of most of Spain, but in Galicia, where Santiago is, seafood, stews and Padron peppers are on pretty much every menu. You'll also find a good number of bakeries selling savory pies and this traditional almond cake.
What are the origins of this cake?
While it is named after St James (Santiago), the origins of this cake are unclear. Some stories say that it was brought as an offering be a pilgrim making the Camino and was then adopted. But then, since it is said to originate in the Middle Ages, who knows.
Either way, it uses some very typical ingredients for a Spanish dessert - eggs, sugar, almonds and lemon. Cinnamon is not in all versions, but for me it's always a good idea so I have included it.
There are two main methods of bringing these ingredients together - some mix the dry ingredients then gradually add the eggs. Others beat the eggs and sugar together then mix in the dry ingredients.
I'm not sure how much it matters, but I like beating the egg and sugar first to get a bit of air in them to help lighten the cake. I think it helps get a nice slightly chewy crust on the top. Then you simply pour it into a prepared tin and bake.
It's that easy, my kids did the majority of the work in making this one time (and they did a good job devouring it once baked as well!).
Some gluten free cakes can be a bit heavy in texture, but that's surprisingly not the case here. Particularly when there is no raising agent, it tastes unusually light. But I think that's partly it contains a good number of eggs which add a certain amount of "lift".
I'm sometimes tempted to reduce the level of sugar in baking, and often do, but I think this is one where you just go with the traditional proportions. It's relatively sweet, but I think you need the sweetness for the texture and flavor.
Can you make a larger cake?
If you have ever been in Santiago, you have probably seen these cakes in all sizes in the many bakeries and restaurants around the city. I have made this on the smaller size, as it fits our family, but you can certainly make this into a bigger cake if that suits better. I see no reason why you couldn't make it smaller as well.
Whatever size you make, just keep the same weight proportions and adjust cooking time for a larger or smaller cake. This cake is traditionally made relatively 'flat', so if you make it larger, make sure you also use a larger tin as far as possible.
Traditionally, you dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar (icing sugar) with a stencil of a St James' cross on top. Then, when you take the stencil away, you are left with the cross shape. It's a very simple, effective decoration. I drew my own stencil using various images I found online, but one that you can download to try is this one.
Tarta de Santiago is a cake you'll find everywhere in its hometown, but its surprisingly unknown elsewhere. However for such an easy, delicious, and naturally gluten free cake that seems such a shame. Make sure you get to know it, and enjoy it often!
Try these other delicious cakes:
- Austrian apricot cake (Marillenkuchen)
- Sour cream mocha cake
- Pear cake
- French lemon yogurt cake
- Plus get more dessert recipes and Spanish recipes in the archives.
I'd recommend an 8in non-stick springform pan for this for easy removal (affiliate link, the 8in in this set is what I use).
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Tarta de Santiago
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar (caster sugar is better, if possible)
- 2 cups almond flour (or ground almonds)
- 1 lemon zest ie from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon confectioners sugar approx, to dust (icing sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line an 8 inch/20cm round springform/cake pan/tin with parchment on the bottom and rub the sides with a little butter.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the sugar. Whisk the two together until well combined and starting to become lighter in color with a bit of air in the mixture.
- Add the almond flour/ground almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon and mix until combined, but try not to overmix and get all of the air out of the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and place in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the cross stencil, if not already prepared.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool around 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack before removing the outer ring. Allow it to cool completely before placing the stencil on top of the middle then dusting some confectioners sugar over the top. Carefully remove the stencil without letting the sugar fall on the area you had covered. Slice and serve or store at room temp, covered.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Try these other Spanish baked recipes:
- Basque Chicken from Palatable Pastime
- Patatas Panaderas from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Pescado al Horno con Gambas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- San Marcos Cake from Pandemonium Noshery
Remember to pin for later!
Betty Moon says
Having walked the Camino a couple of weeks ago, the flavor of this type of cake was fresh in my mind. While this is a nice recipe for a light cake, it didn’t match what we had in Spain. I weighed the ingredients, used almond flour and super-fine caster sugar so it would blend well, but the flavors just weren’t as impressive. Plus like some other reviews, it took about 50 minutes to bake, and then after cooling still had a somewhat overly moist center as compared to those on the Camino. Tasty for sure, but not what I was hoping for.
Caroline says
Sorry the flavors weren't quite the same but I can take a pretty good guess that the reason is the almonds. I've written it more as being what is accessible and being as close as is reasonable for most cooks. In Spain, marcona almonds are the most typical variety that have a rounder shape and stronger flavor. While you can buy them whole elsewhere, it's often only online and I haven't seen them ground into flour. And flour is pretty much always going to be a little less strong in flavor than grinding your own, even with the best of brands. You're best chance at getting the best flavor is to grind your own almonds, ideally marcona, but by sure to grind fine but not so long you make almond butter. Alternatively, you can try to boost the flavor with some almond extract - just a few drops should help.
Kelly says
When I click on metric measurements the almond isn't double the sugar like in the us standard measurements? Is that correct?
Caroline says
Yes it is - the US imperial measurements are volume, while the metric are weight, sugar is heavier than ground almonds so that's why there's a difference, but the conversion gives you the same quantity, allowing for a slight margin of error in the volume as it's not quite as consistent.
L says
Love this one very easy and everyone loves it
Caroline says
So glad to hear!
Lisbeth says
Easiest cake ever! A favourite in my household, I’ve made it several times now, with lemon and with orange.
I love that it can be scaled to different sizes so easily too! I made a mini batch in cupcake pans when I only had 1 egg.
Caroline says
I'm so glad you have been enjoying it, and love the idea of cupcake sized versions.
Lisa Lottes says
So good.its my new favorite cake.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear that!
erica says
I have a 9.5 inch spring form pan... I'm wondering if it's ok to use this size, or if I could double the recipe? ...but his would probably throw off the bake time.
Caroline's Cooking says
So I'd say it's a bit up to you, but you likely need to watch bake time either way. You could use the quantities as they are with the slightly larger pan, but it would end up a thinner cake. And it will likely cook a little quicker so I would watch and check more often towards the end. Or you could make maybe 1.5 times the recipe to give a slightly larger volume and thickness that's probably close, and yes it will take a little longer to bake but hard to say exactly how much. Maybe an extra 5 minutes?
Heather says
This cake was delicious. I thought there was no way any cake without oil or butter would be good but this cake was even better than most traditional cakes I've tried. I used a bit less sugar than it called for because I don't like things too sweet and it turned out perfect! It was super easy to make as an added bonus.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed, and agree it's wonderfully easy.
Rosemarie McAuliffe says
This recipe was so easy to make and, using the feedback from my very fussy book club ladies - it was a HIT!
I will definitely make this cake again.
Caroline's Cooking says
That's so great to hear!
Barbara Shurgot says
Step 5 mentions "outer ring", but Step 1 says to use a cake pan. Should this be baked in a spring form pan?
Caroline's Cooking says
You can use either - I generally find a springform easier in terms of releasing it but both will work. I've updated the first step to try to make it clearer you can use both.
Barbara Shurgot says
Thank you for clarifying! It's very helpful.
Rusty says
I hiked the Camino (Sarria to Santiago de Compostela) in 2022 and loved this cake with cappuccino all along the way!
I made this cake and came out really well. Although the texture was quite fluffy. What would you suggest to make it a bit dense (that’s how I remember it). Thanks
Caroline's Cooking says
How lovely to have hiked the trail and had this on the way! So if you want it less fluffy, you probably want less air in your egg mixture as that's where the fluffiness comes in. So maybe either beat a little less or knock back some of the bubbles after.
Kbcmassage says
Excellent! Gluten free, quick & easy and a fun presentation.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed and found it easy!
Claudia says
I used orange peel instead and the taste is out of this world!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed, and indeed orange can also work well.
Brenda Drew says
Easy perfect for me a novice .
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear it worked well for you - and indeed it's wonderfully easy!
Shelley says
I love this recipe! There's a bakery local to us that makes these and this recipe is very close to that. I'd love to make individual ones for my upcoming wedding. Do you think I can double the batter and use two muffin tins? I'm also planning to freeze them ahead since Im doing a whole dessert table. Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed! So I think you probably could make these in muffin tins, just a couple things - I'm not sure the exact conversion on a double quantity of mixture to muffin tins, so it may make more/less. I think this mixture has a slight tendency to stick so I'd suggest you use liners. Finally, the muffin size will cook a lot quicker bing much smaller so you will need to adjust the time - it's hard to say exactly, I'd say maybe half the time but you will need to keep a close eye and check after, say, 10 minutes and now and then after that.
Sarah Chatfield says
This cake is amazing! Turned out perfectly. I absolutely love it and couldn’t stop eating it. Making my second one now. Definitely my favourite cake and I’ll be making it a lot. Thank you so much for your recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear that, and glad you enjoyed and will again!
Jen says
If we want a less sweet version of the cake, will it be okay to reduce sugar by 25-33% or will texture change substantially?
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried and so it's hard to say for sure, but I would definitely say it's likely to impact texture. That said, I think you could reduce a little but maybe start with less reduction and see from there.
Ann says
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Caroline's Cooking says
There can be a few factors so it's hard to know what may have happened without being there but some things to consider - did you have the right quantities of the ingredients? I always highly recommend weighing if you can, especially for baking, as it is more consistent and accurate. Next, did you beat the eggs and sugar until becoming pale? This definitely helps with creating some lightness. And did you take care not to overmix? Finally, was the cake definitely cooked all the way through when you took it out? Sinking in the middle can be a sign that the middle is not sufficiently cooked - did you test with a skewer? It may have needed a few more minutes to bake. As I say, hard to know without being there but these are things to think about.
Glen D says
This recipe is amazing! And so simple! I walked the Camino a couple of months ago and have thought about my experience daily since! So I ordered a cross stencil on Amazon and googled a recipe. Glad I came across this one! It was better than any that I ate on my Camino and I ate a lot of good ones there!! A cup of coffee and I was re-living some of the happiest and most fulfilling days of my life!! Thanks for the recipe! Buen Camino!
Caroline's Cooking says
Oh I'm so glad to hear that, glad it brought back good memories too!
Lourdes says
If you follow the recipe you cannot go wrong. It was a total success and very easy to prepare.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!
Cindy says
Easy to make; instructions were very detailed. All my gluten free and non GF friends love this cake. This time I made it with a snowflake stencil since it’s almost Christmas. I don’t usually have leftovers so I’m unsure how to store the cake. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad the recipe has been working well for you and being enjoyed! So I generally keep the cake in a sealed container, or well wrapped, at room temperature for up to around 3 - 5 days. If it might be any more than that, then I'd suggest freezing a piece, well wrapped, would be best option.
pernilla Kari Ahrnstedt says
I think the cake will be fine but after 35 min it was still soupy in the center.
Leaving it for another 20 min and will check again 😄
Caroline's Cooking says
How strange, might be worth checking oven temperature with a thermometer to see it's definitely right? But hope it works in the end!
pernilla Kari Ahrnstedt says
I had to bake it at close to 1 hour. I ended up w an odd crust from eggs and sugar with the actual cake sitting 1/4 inch below it. It also doesn’t hold together so it’s become a grab a chunk cake instead of a sliceable one.
It tastes really good but looks a mess. I might have ground my almonds too coarsely?
Anyway, I will make another attempt.
🤓
Caroline's Cooking says
That does sound like the almonds were probably too coarse - I've never had a separation with store bought almond flour which is relatively fine, so likely if it wasn't fine, the almonds in effect separated and sank. Hopefully it will work better on another try!
Kate says
Cooked for an hour, seemed a bit sloppy.
Not sure if eaten cold or hot xxc
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm surprised it was sloppy, and after so long - maybe the oven wasn't quite at the right temperature or something wasn't quite right in measuring? You typically have this at room temperature but you could serve it warm as well.
KC says
So good! This was easy to make, delicious to eat, and transports you right back to the Camino. Goes great with tea or a café con leche. !Gracias y Buen Camino!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you found it easy and tasty, as well as bringing back god memories, too!
Joni E says
I love this cake, just how I remembered it when we did Camino de Santiago! I've made almond cakes before but they have never been as good as Tarta de Santiago from the Galician region of Spain. I'm glad I found this recipe, thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed and that it matches up to your memories!
Karin Newton says
The cake was a huge success and I can’t wait to make it again. Can you suggest what to serve with it?
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed! So it's not traditional, but I really like this with either fresh berries or a berry compote - the tartness in things like raspberries pairs really well. And a little cream, too, can be good.
Aida Andujar says
I have made this cake so many times I know the recipe by heart. It is a delicious cake. Always comes out great. Thank you so much for such a great recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you have been enjoying it so much!
Aida Andujar says
I am making the cake today and transporting it tomorrow. Just a few hours by car. How do I keep it fresh?
Gail says
How do I make this cake moist? I’ve made it several times and it always comes out dry.
Caroline's Cooking says
I can't say I've ever had that problem, as the amount of sugar, eggs and oils from the almonds should all keep it moist. Some thoughts I have are first, checking if it's ready earlier - it may be that you are slightly over-baking and it's actually cooked through a little sooner and that extra time is making it dry out more. So test a little earlier to see if it is ready. Secondly, it may be that the almonds you are using have a lower level of oils in them. Maybe try a different brand that might have a higher oil content, or even grind your own from whole blanched almonds.
Steven Julians says
I've made this with ground almonds, but would be interested in trying the almond flour version.
Just a question: is the almond flour gluten free ?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes almond flour is gluten free (it is just almonds), though I would check the packet if you are particularly sensitive to make sure it was made in a wheat-free facility.
Deborah says
You suggested weighing the ingredients for a better result. Could you please provide the weights? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking says
If you click on the "metric" button in the recipe card, you will get all the weight measurements in grams. Enjoy!
DeeMa says
No butter required? Thx
Caroline's Cooking says
That's right! Between the other ingredients, you don't need any.
Doreen Murgatroyd says
I have eaten this on the Costa del Sol, simply called Tarta de almendras, & minus the cross decoration but otherwise identical.
Caroline's Cooking says
Indeed, you can find it in other parts of Spain as well and sometimes they call it simply almond cake, I imagine to make it clearer or in case the Santiago name is less known. Almonds are a popular crop and used in many Spanish favorites (like turron as well).
Leah Taylor says
Do you use large eggs or medium for the Santiago cake Caroline?
Caroline's Cooking says
I use large eggs for this (and most recipes, typically, unless it says otherwise).
Maureen MacDonald says
I’d like to make this for a school project. My granddaughter and her friends had chosen Spain as their country of interest.
Because it is a school function it Hass to be nut free! Is it possible to make this with all purpose flour?
I made the Spanish muffins last night, but they came out looking perfect but I felt that they were awfully dry so I’d like to try this cake
Thanks for your help!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm afraid it really wouldn't be the same at all - this is a cake that is all about the flavor and texture fro almonds so just wouldn't work with other flours. If you are looking for an alternative, yes the magdalenas muffins are an option (not sure why you felt the muffins were dry, but maybe try with slightly less flour so they are more moist?), or else what about crema Catalana, another classic - you could divide into small dishes, maybe.
Christina Riley says
I love this cake and have made it before strictly following your instructions. I plan to make another this week and am low on almond flour but have an abundance of pecan flour. What do you think and has anyone tried that?
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I haven't tried it with pecan flour but I would think in theory, it should work OK, it just will have a bit of a different flavor. Pecan flour tends to give a more nutty, richer flavor so it will taste a bit different but I can imagine tasty as well.
Patty Moore says
Thank you for the recipe. Does this cake freeze well? I need to make ten. Of course I will add the stencil and confectioners sugar before serving.
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, you can freeze it - just make sure the cake cools completely, wrap well eg in cling wrap/film and/or foil then freeze. And yes, as you say add the sugar after it defrosts before serving.
Paula Screnci says
Easy and so delicious!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed!
Michael Absher says
I love this cake and have made it many times but was wondering if you could use lime zest instead of lemon zest? I haven't tried it yet but I think the results would be interesting to see.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you have been enjoying it! I haven't tried with lime - I think it could work but my general feel is lemon pairs better flavor-wise, but it could still be good.
Noela says
Is it possible to use substitute eggs in this recipe? If so what please?
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried and in all honesty, I'm not sure that I can think of a good option as substitute here as the eggs are not just acting as binder but also adding to the texture, particularly without leavening agent, so it's hard to think of a good option to replicate that without quite a few changes.
NanaD says
I’ve made it twice and it was a hit both times. I topped it with a St James cross for our Spanish dinner party and with a fleur de lis for our Mardi Gras party.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you have been enjoying it!
Lina says
Hello Caroline
Thank you for the recipe I have this cake so many times in Spain I am from Scotland but have been living in the US but eventually would move back home nice slice of cake with a good cup of tea I went to school in Boston spend a lot of time there thank you for sharing your recipes from all over the world now I can make whenever I feel like having this cake
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed and yes great to relive some of those memories with foods (and how interesting you also have the Scotland/Boston connection!)
Felicity says
Just tasted a piece with a cup of tea. Delicious and just the right texture. It won't last long.
I cooked it 45 mins - it was still a bit uncooked at 30 min. (Perhaps my oven was too cool) Also sprinkled some flaked almonds on top which gave it a bit of crunch.
The recipe is easy to follow and has gone in my 'to keep' folder.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it and will make again!
Wendy Andrews says
I made this at the weekend and it was lovely and very easy to make. The only regret is that I used ground almonds instead of almond flour. Will try with the flour next time
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes I do think it is that little bit better with almond flour, as I mention, so will be interested to see how you like it with that, too.
Asha Basker says
Dear Caroline
Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Cannot wait to try it. I was just wondering if I could use a sugar substitute like Sukrin for example to make it for diabetics. Almond flour is perfect as it’s lower in carbohydrates.
Many 🙏
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried it with a sugar substitute and so don't know how it would react in this - for example, I am not sure how well it would dissolve into the egg and if it might stop the egg fluffing up as you beat, for example. I would hope it might be much the same, but can't say for sure I'm afraid, but f you try would be great if you could come back and let us know how it turned out!
Susanna says
Interestingly, this cake's origins may have been as a Passover cake brought by Jews fleeing the Inquisition in the 12 and 13th centuries. No wheat or dairy.
Caroline's Cooking says
I have heard this as a potential origin too - food history is indeed fascinating, with often many different possible origins (and whatever the exact truth, if known, it's nice to be able to enjoy the tasty results!)
Lina says
Pure cane you can get on Amazon it’s a powder it’s works great for baking cake, stevia, maple syrup, date syrup snd it’s keto friendly snd diabetes. Hope you don’t mind Caroline I shared
Caroline's Cooking says
No problem at all.
Eduardo Gaffney says
Estimada Carolina! I love your recipe for the Camino cake. My wife and I walked the Camino Frances a few years ago from Leon to Santiago, and as soon as we got to Galicia had many versions of this cake at the end of each supper. Yours is excellent.
Since is uses eggs (lots), I can't use your recipe when I make a birthday cake for me VEGAN daughter. Do you know whether I can use any plant substitute for eggs to make a VEGAN camino cake?
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed and that it matched up to what you had - and I'm sure the camino trek must have been great, too! I'm afraid while there are a few vegan substitutes around, I'm not sure any of them are necessarily that great here. One of the things with eggs is that they not only provide the 'glue' but they give it some 'lift'. It might work using an egg replacer like Bobs Red Mill in the US as it uses a mix of potato and tapioca starch, as well as some baking soda, then I would maybe add a little extra baking powder to help it rise a little more. But I have not tried so this is only a guess and I'm not sure if you might scale back the quantity as well. I'm afraid I don't know of a recipe.
Bella says
I have made this recipe twice and it is awesome! It tastes just like the ones I had in Santiago post-camino. I follow the recipe exactly (except I like mine better without cinnamon) and it comes out perfectly. Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed and that it matched up to your memories (and how wonderful to complete the camino!)
Linda Hernandez says
Hello I have used your recipe three times and it comes out great . I have a question: could this cake be also made on top of stove ? I ask this because I made a chocolate cake over the stove and it was fine.
My oven is not working and that's why I asked this .
Thank you .
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried, so to be honest I am not sure. You would have to use a low heat so that it doesn't burn on the bottom and kind of steam it, so lid on - if you have tried a chocolate cake that way then maybe try much the same method but keep an eye towards the end in case cook time differs. Would be interested to hear how it goes!
Linda Hernandez says
Thanks Caroline- In my previous comment I failed to mention that the chocolate cake that I made was done with steam almost like a double boiler method which was a recipe on Christopher Kimball's Milk street show. It came out very moist and topped off with icing sugar ( confection ) . I will let you know . Thank you again and your Tarta De Santiago is my favorite recipe for this cake . I'm making it for
a dinner I am having as dessert after serving Paella this weekend.I will try making it over the stove .
Ginny Hanson says
This is the most delicious cake ever!!! I used extra fine Almond Flour in mine and it worked well. It did rise but then after taking it out of the oven it fell a bit to make a concave cake but tasted great. I didn't have a springform pan so used a cast iron skillet and lined the whole skillet with parchment paper. It created a scalloped edge to the cake giving it a unique design. This is great for breakfast or dessert! So Yummy.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! I agree, it has a lovely flavor to it.
NelisW says
Perfect recipe! Thanks!
I made a 3D printed template for the cross, free to print.
https://www.printables.com/model/325087-icing-template-for-tarte-de-santiago-spanish-almon
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed, and great idea making a 3D printable for it.
Linda Hernandez says
Hi Caroline .. I made tarta de Santiago cake a few times various recipes . I just made yours yesterday but my question for you is why did it come out not ad high as yours and mine came out grainy although it tasted just fine . I made my cut out stencil and have used it every time I make this cake . Is it the almond flour that caused it to be grainy?
Caroline's Cooking says
So on the height, this is never a particularly high cake since there is no raising agent, but I don't know what size pan you had, as if it was a bit larger then it will be thinner. Also, to help it rise as much as possible, try to make sure you get the egg and sugar really well whisked up, so it goes glossy, then try just fold rather than mix too much when you add the rest, just enough to have it combined. In terms of texture, it can be one of two things, either the sugar or the almonds. Almonds is more likely, but for both, it's worth looking for as fine as you can to try to help the texture be smooth.
Mae says
I am Spanish (with Galician heritage) and I always shudder when I see a recipe for Tarta de Santiago in a foreign blog because, normally, they always include wheat flour among the ingredients, and Tarta de Santiago NEVER has wheat flour. So it was a pleasant surprise to see that you didn't add anything that the traditional recipe doesn't have, which I thank you for. Your recipe is perfect, you even put the cross on it! 🙂 Thank you very much for your promotion of Galician cuisine and I hope you enjoyed your visit to Santiago, a city I love dearly.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you for your comment - I do try to keep as authentic as I can for the majority of recipes, especially Spanish having lived in Spain a couple times. Santiago is indeed a lovely city, I jumped at the chance to stay there another time when my son was little, despite it being a little tricky with him being so young and less than ideal weather, but I knew I wanted to explore it that bit more!
Cathy says
Caroline, the ground almonds are not listed in the ingredients. How much should I use and would slivered almonds work? I don't have a way to grind the almonds.
Caroline's Cooking says
Ground almonds and almond flour are almost same - almond flour is made with blanched almonds, then ground up, while ground almonds is the same as almond meal where they are ground with skin on so you have that browner texture. Almond flour is better, but you could use either and I have updated the recipe to try to make this a little clearer. I'm afraid slivered wouldn't give you the same texture at all, they really do need to be ground.
Wendy says
Love this cake! Family love it too and they don’t normally eat gluten free cakes. Would using brown sugar instead of white alter the cake in any way?
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you all enjoyed! And I can understand - this doesn't really feel like your 'typical' gluten free cake to me, either. In terms of brown sugar, it will be equally sweet but may impact flavor and texture a little. Brown sugar has molasses in it, unlike white sugar, so the flavor may end up slightly different. Also, brown sugar doesn't tend to whip up quite as well, and also tends to make things softer, so the cake might be both a little denser and seem more moist.
Doreen says
There is no butter in this recipe- is that right?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, that's right! Almond flour is relatively rich and the balance of all the ingredients means you don't need any for this style of cake.
Olivia Festino says
This is my FAVORITE CAKE! I believe in eating healthy, and this is one of the few cakes that is simultaneously delicious and as healthy as cakes go! Perfect for any occasion, it is my go-to cake. 100% like rate from all who have tried it!
🥳😍😋👍♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you have been enjoying it!
Diane Allison says
I first experienced this amazing cake on a visit to Cambrils in Spain. I’m being gluten-free for a couple of weeks at the moment so this was an ideal recipe to curb my usual cake hunger! The recipe was easy to make and came out perfectly. I used orange rind rather than lemon. I traced the cross by finding an image on Google and used baking paper to trace it then cut the image out. I used a large pointed knife to ease under the cross when I lifted it off the cake so I didn’t disturb the icing sugar. It looks fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes perfect for going gluten-free. (And you are bringing back memories mentioning Cambrils - haven't been there in a while now!)
True Whiting says
After discovering this cake at a local bakery I wanted to make it at home. Thank you so much for this recipe. We were blown away.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed!
Gabrielle Chisholm says
Hi. Just finished reading All My Mothers for book club and much of it is set in Cordoba so I thought making this cake would be apt. Question: should the oven be 180oC fan forced or normal? Should I reduce the temp down to 160oC for a fan forced oven? I've look on your website to see if there is a standard, but couldn't find it.
Caroline's Cooking says
So it's possibly not a simple, straight answer. I'm from the UK and always typically reduced the temp for a fan oven there, but in the US I wouldn't and having dug around, there's a reason why. In the US, a traditional fan or convection oven is apparently simply the regular heating elements with fan in the middle to help circulate the heat, while European-style fan ovens have an extra heating element behind the fan so it blows additional hot air along with the other heating elements. So, the European-style will cook quicker and typically feel 'hotter'. If it's European style, you probably would want to reduce the heat a little, so 160/170C would be good and also keep an eye towards the end as it may not need quite as long. Hope you enjoy!
Angy says
It was very good!
Only thing i got stuck was this:
I whipped the eggs with the sugar and they became foamy and fluffy, i added the rest of the ingredients and still it was "soft pick"
In the oven the massa started to grow and it seems very beautiful untill it implode. I have to admit that i opened the oven a couple of time so i know that this could be the reason, but therese maybe another reason? Or is just that?
Thanks for the recipe its a hit!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! This is a cake that tends to puff up a little more during baking then settle a little less high as it cools. Generally it more goes from puffed in the middle to flat rather than indented, so hopefully that's what happened and if so, nothing to worry about. The weight of the almonds etc mean it won't ever be very light, the air in your mixture just helps it not be completely brick-like.
Lisa Blackwell says
I baked this sticking exactly to the recipe but it came out very flat--about half as high as what appears in the photos--and the color was quite pale. I haven't tried it yet as it's for a party but wondering why it differs so much from what is depicted here? I whisked the eggs and sugar together for several minutes.
Caroline's Cooking says
So there are two aspects to the 'lift' in the cake, one is getting air into the egg-sugar mixture so you get some little bubbles on the top and it looks paler, and the other is not stirring it all out as you fold in the other ingredients. You really want to be pretty light in your folding in so it combines but that's it. This isn't a leavened cake, so it won't rise anything like others that are, but you want a little air in there to save it becoming very dense. I hope that wasn't the case when you cut into it. I don't know what size of cake tin you used but that too, would change the height of the cake.
Lisa Blackwell says
Thanks for your reply! It turned out to be quite delicious with a nice texture, and our guests enjoyed it very much! I'll definitely make it again 🙂
Lisa Blackwell says
Oh, and I used an 8" springform pan.
Janet Nagy Hanley says
My friends were delighted with this cake.
It came out perfect and it was easy to make. Everyone loved the St James cross on top. I had to share the recipe with the 2 other couples. Served 6 people with 2 leftover slices. Although it looked small, it was significant with the cross stencil. Love the recipe and I will make it again.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear that it went down well with all!
Joanna says
Very good, moist. Although 150g of sugar is enough, made with 200g and was too sweet for my and my family liking.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed. Yes it is a relatively sweet cake, traditionally, as I have shared here and can understand why to some tastes you would prefer a little less sugar. We also like it, as I mention, with a fruit coulis which helps balance it out a little as well (if less traditional way to serve it).
Diane says
Hola! I haven't made it yet but am having a Spanish dinner this Friday for friends. The only thing I needed was a dessert. I'm definitely going to use your recipe -- it looks very much like a winner. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
This should be perfect, hope you all enjoy!
Monica says
Quick and simple, thank you! As you’ve said, it’s on the sweeter side.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes it really is so nice and easy.
Sigi Howes says
I'm about to make this for the first time. I see your list of ingredients says almond flour. But in the instructions it speaks of ground almonds. Are the two the same thing?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, they are the same thing - occasionally, ground almonds are not as fine, in which case if you have the choice, I'd say go for almond flour, but both will work here.
Helen Lee Robertson says
Thanks for the recipe. I started making this after returning home from Santiago after my first pilgrimage. In my version, I include the juice and zest from one lemon and one orange but not the cinnamon (though I will give this a try).
One clarification about the Camino Francés - the route is 500 miles long and takes most pilgrims over a month to walk. The last 100 miles is the minimum distance that someone must walk to qualify for a “Compostela”, the certificate of completion. That distance usually takes about five days. My Caminos took 36, 38, and 36 days, walking different routes. Francés was the shortest one for me.
Caroline's Cooking says
Like the idea of a little orange zest and some juice in there too (though not too much, I imagine). Definitely worth trying the bit of cinnamon. Thanks for mentioning re the Camino length - I think I was rushing as I was writing up that bit and missed some of the detail but have now updated. And well done on doing various routes as well!
Jeffrey says
I made this cake the other day for family. It was a big hit. Very moist and not overly sweet. Took a small piece before it was gone for the next morning with coffee. Better than any danish or muffin. Thanks Caroline.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear! It's a big favorite of ours as well, and I'd have to agree, better than a Danish pastry with coffee!
Ruth says
Hola Caroline,
this cake looks and sounds delicious! Can I bake it with almond meal or do I need fine almond flour?
On a different note: Santiago is St. James.
Caroline's Cooking says
Almond meal can vary in how coarse it is, so it may lead to a coarser texture in the end cake but I don't think that would necessarily be that bad. If your almond meal seems fairly fine, it is probably fine as it is. If it feels pretty coarse, maybe try putting it in the food processor for a little bit to try to grind it a little finer before using? And thanks for mentioning - I did know Santiago was St James but was obviously having a mental block as I wrote this up and mis-wrote, now updated!
Ruth says
Thanks for your reply!
I'll try this cake when it cools down a little and I'll let you know how it turned out using fine almond meal.
Marietjie says
200 g almond flour in recipe? Should it be 400 g?
Caroline's Cooking says
No, 200g is correct - almond flour is much lighter than sugar.
Kent says
5/5 Recipe extremely easy to follow, tastes really good.
0/5 placing recipe at the bottom of the worlds longest wall of text. Recipe should be at the very top, history after, so I don’t have to scroll ALL the way down everytime my phone screen turns off.
Please, please move it!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the cake and found it easy to follow. I appreciate there is text before the recipe (as is pretty standard for most sites), but some of this is information which many people would find helpful before they make it so it helps to be before so they don't miss it. I've never actually had the problem of my phone going back to the top when the screen goes off, it always holds it's place on the page.
Marilena says
It sounds so easy and yummy, I'll try it, is my kind of cake.
Thanks.
Caroline's Cooking says
It is indeed both easy and delicious! Hope you enjoy as much as we do.
Nancy Rich says
This came out great! I ground my own almonds for one of them and used almond flour for the other one. I liked the ground almonds better. I made this for my Dad who's 91 and misses going to Santiago. He loved it. One question, can you freeze this and if so for how long. Thank you.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed! I don't remember freezing this myself, but it certainly should work - for cakes, I'd typically recommend double wrapping so in foil then in a freezer bag or container, then defrost in the fridge before using. It should freeze fine for around 3 months, I'd say.
Lisa says
This cake sounds like something I would really love -- the simple, straighforward ingredients - no fancy decorating (except I love that stencil) and that moist, tender crumb. I will definitely be trying this one. Thanks Caroline!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, hope you enjoy as much as we did - it was such a hit here, I can see me being a regular feature!
Sid says
I'm definitely going to try this cake out. This looks and sounds amazing. I love baking with almond flour, it must be my Danish coming out.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, and it's so easy, too.
Wendy Klik says
This is exactly my kind of cake. It sounds so amazingly delicious, I can't wait to try it.
Caroline's Cooking says
I hope you enjoy as much as we did, we are big fans 🙂
Tara says
Absolutely gorgeous cake! Love that it is naturally gluten free and those flavors sound wonderful. Beautiful photos too!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you! Yes the flavors are so lovely.
Rebekah @ Making Miracles says
It's so simply elegant with that stencil and powdered sugar topping! I love all the lemon I'm seeing in this round up of recipes today!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks - yes lemon is well used in Spanish cooking, which is part of what I like about it I imagine!
Karen says
That cake is simple and beautiful. I love the stenciled cross, and the crumb looks amazing. Thanks for the mini tour and photo of the cathedral. Stunning.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, I love the traditional cross design as well - definitely worth adding I think! And glad you enjoyed a little about Santiago as well.
Juli says
The crumb on that looks simply amazing! I would have ever guessed it had such a simple ingredient list from looking at it! I can't wait to try.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you - I know what you mean, it definitely has a much better texture than you might expect, which is part of what makes it so wonderful!