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!
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 .