Tarta de Santiago (Galician Almond Cake)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Easy

Tarta de Santiago (Galician Almond Cake)

A moist, flourless cake made from ground almonds, sugar and eggs with lemon zest and a hint of cinnamon. The powdered sugar cross of Saint James marks the top. Makes 1 cake in about 1 hr.

Prep 20 min

Cook 40 min

Total 1 hr

Servings 10

Ingredients

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servings

2 ⅔ cups (250 g)ground almonds, finely ground, almond flour
1 ¼ cups (250 g)granulated sugar
5 (250 g)eggs, large
2 ½ tsp (5 g)lemon zest, finely grated
¾ tsp (2 g)ground cinnamon
1 pinchfine salt
1 tbsp (15 ml)brandy or orujo, optional
½ tbsp (10 g)unsalted butter, for the pan
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)powdered sugar, for dusting

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Butter a 24 cm (9.5 inch) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer for 5 to 7 minutes until pale, thick and tripled in volume.
Fold in the ground almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt and brandy gently with a spatula until just combined.
Pour into the pan and level the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cake is set, with a skewer coming out clean.
Cool completely in the pan on a rack, then remove the ring.
Cut a Saint James cross (or any simple cross) from cardboard and lay it on the cake. Dust powdered sugar over the top through a sieve, then lift the stencil off carefully.

Tips

Beat the eggs well; they are the only lift in this cake.
Use blanched almond flour for a pale crumb or grind whole almonds with some of the sugar.
Cover loosely with foil in the last 10 minutes if the top browns too fast.
Bake until the center is set and a skewer comes out clean (internal temperature at least 160 F / 71 C).

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make tarta de santiago (galician almond cake)?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 1 cake (10 servings).

How should I store tarta de santiago (galician almond cake)?

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days; it tastes better on day 2.

Can I make tarta de santiago (galician almond cake) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

A flourless almond cake from Galicia in northwest Spain, dusted with powdered sugar around a stencil of the cross of Saint James. Serve it with sweet sherry or coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.

281 Calories / serving

14.9g Fat

31.0g Carbs

8.4g Protein

26.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (10 servings): ~2810 cal · 149g fat · 310g carbs · 84g protein · 263g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.