Tarta de Santiago, also known as the best Spanish almond cake, is a delish from the northern region of Spain, Galicia. Santiago cake is known for its famous Saint James cross, but that is just the traditional look of it, the best part comes when you get to try it! Its soft texture and sweet taste make it be one of those desserts every single Spaniard loves.
Today we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Santiago cake, from its recipe, ingredients, and calories… to its history and some extra tips about how it should be served.
👨🍳 Tarta de Santiago Recipe
super simple and easy to understand. The ingredients required can be bought all around the world and it will take you little time to have it done.
Santiago cake ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar (200 gr)
- 2 cups of almond flour (200gr)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ Tsp of cinnamon powder
- Zest of 1 clementine
- ¼ Tsp of salt
- Icing sugar to cover the top
- Santiago cross
Santiago cake nutrition facts
- | Carbohydrates: 33´5g
- | Protein: 8´3g
- | Fat: 14´6g
- | Saturated Fat: 2g
- | Cholesterol: 82´7mg
- | Sodium: 32´8mg
- | Potassium: 30´1mg
- | Fiber: 3g
- | Sugar: 28´5g
- | Vitamin A: 119IU
- | Vitamin C: 1mg
- | Calcium: 66mg
- | Iron: 1mg
🍳 How to make Tarta de Santiago
- 1) Preheat the oven to 360F/180C and butter a 7/8-inch tin (18/20cm) and dust it with flour until it is fully coated.
- 2) Mix the eggs and the sugar in a bowl and whisk them, until it gets a light color and a fluffy texture. It should only take a few minutes.
- 3) Once you have it, add the almond flour, lemon zest, clementine zest, cinnamon powder, and the salt to the dough. Shake it and mix it until it is combined properly.
- 4) Pour the dough in the pan and introduce it into the oven, then let it cook for around 30 minutes. At the end it should have golden-brownish color.
- 5) Take the pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
- 6) Last of all (this is optional), place the Saint James cross in the center and add the icing sugar. Enough to cover the whole cake, but don´t go to far. Remove the cross and it will be ready to be eaten.
- 45 mins
- 290 Kcal
⏰ Santiago cake cooking time:
💪 Spanish Almond Cake calories:
🍽️ Servings
- From 6 to 8
How to serve Tarta de Santiago
Serving Santiago de Compostela cake isn´t anything special, but it is true that if you care about its look, you should be careful in the last step of the recipe.
First, it is super important to have the cross in the middle, you don´t need to measure it, but try to center it as much as possible.
Secondly, when removing the cross after pouring the icing sugar, be careful and never use your hand or you will destroy the cross, use instead something thin like a knife.
Tarta de Santiago History
Although Santiago cakes´ origin is not well known, it is said that during the Middle Ages, almonds were expensive and only a few could purchase them. Therefore, this cake was considered a luxury dessert.
The first news from something similar to this Spanish almond cake is from 1577, when Pedro do Porto visited Santiago university and tried the “torta real” which was had similar ingredients to what we know now as tarta de Santiago.
The first recipes are from Bartolomé de Leybar in 1838. And the Santiago cross started being popular in 1924, they used it in Galicia to decorate the dessert. Since then, it has been getting more and more popular internationally.
More than a just a dessert
Now a days, this Galician almond cake has gotten so popular, that it isn´t like any other dessert, it is a symbol of the area and the whole country.
Having in mind how tough the Camino de Santiago, this delish is also considered a reward for those who get to complete it after days or even weeks of walking non-stop.
Enjoy the Santiago Cake
As you have seen Santiago cake is super easy and takes little time to make, so it is ideal to make it for breakfast or as a morning or afternoon snack. We hope you have enjoyed our article and you have found useful our recipe, if you have any other questions or suggestions, please let us know in the comments.
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