If you’ve ever walked the Camino de Santiago or just happened to visit Santiago de Compostela, you might know what’s coming…

Tarta de Santiago is a traditional Spanish almond cake that originates from the region of Galicia, in the northwest of Spain. The cake is named after Santiago (Saint James), the patron saint of Galicia, and is often associated with the Camino de Santiago – the famous pilgrimage route. It’s actually a piece of Spanish history since this dessert has been around for centuries.

Tarta de Santiago is an iconic dessert and it’s as humble as it is delicious – delicious flavor, simple ingredients, and special decoration. Light yet dense, sweet yet not too sweet – like a perfect balance of everything you want in life… or at least from a dessert.

Ingredients:

• 250 g finely grated almonds
• 250 g sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• Powdered sugar
• Cinnamon powder
• Few drops of vanilla extract

* These measures are for a 31 cm pie baking tin.

⏱️ prep time: 5 minutes
⏱️ baking time: 35 minutes
🌡️ baking temperature: 180°C

Tarta de Santiago is perfect when you need something easy and fast to whip up for some unexpected visits or lazy weekends. BuuUuUut, it’s still gonna look like you spent hours baking it. So, let me show you how I make it…

• Step 1
  Grab the lemon and with a fine grater take off the first layer of its skin, don’t go too deep, the white layer is bitter. Do the same with the orange.

• Step 2
  Put all the listed ingredients in a big bowl, and whisk them together.

• Step 3
  Put a layer of baking paper in your tin, and pour in the dough. Gently hit it a few times to the tabletop, so the air bubbles are popping.

• Step 4
  In the pre-heated oven, it goes – …for a good 35 minutes at 180°C

• Step 5
  Take it out, let it cool down to at least room temperature

• +1 bonus step
  Totally optional, but if you want your cake to look like it’s coming straight out of a pastry shop in the heart of Galicia, theeEEeEen… it’s time for decoration.
  
  Search for The Cross of Saint James, choose one picture you like – or just save the one below… – print it, and cut it around carefully – you can ask your kid and/or your husband to do it, strictly with appropriate scissors…

• Once the cake cooled down to room temperature, put the cross in the middle of the cake, and gently sprinkle powdered sugar all over it.
• Carefully remove the paper cross…
• … and BAMM, there you have it.

Right on time for a cup of coffee and a slice of fresh Tarta de Santiago for merienda!

I literally just ate a slice, but I can’t stop eyeballing these pictures and the leftovers in the kitchen … 👀

See you at the next one,

Noémi

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