Spanish Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago Recipe) - Spanish Sabores (2024)

Published: Aug 18, 2023 by Lauren Aloise · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Tarta de Santiago, a Spanish almond cake, is one of the most popular desserts in Spain. This traditional tarta de Santiago recipe combines ground almonds, sugar, and eggs for a quick, moist, and gluten free cake that's easy to make at home in less than one hour!

If you're looking for more delicious Spanish cake recipes, be sure to try my recipes for lemon olive oil cake and Spanish magdalenas.

Introduction

One of the first Spanish desserts I fell head over heels for was the tarta de Santiago, a simple almond cake that hails from Galicia, but is found on nearly any dessert menu in Spain.

When I first tried this dessert, I was surprised that this humble cake tasted like a handful of almonds—and I was delighted! The almond cakes I grew up eating were flavored with almond extract, which is quite different from the almond sweets here in Spain, where the star of the show is always the raw almond.

When I decided to make tarta de Santiago at home, I was hoping to get that perfect almond taste and dense, yet somehow light, texture. I tried four different recipes, including one from nuns, but it wasn’t until a came across an old, scribbled recipe in my one of my mother-in-law’s old cookbooks that I found a winner.

I’m excited to share this perfect Spanish almond cake recipe with you!

Ingredients

There are only seven simple ingredients in this tarta de Santiago so you can easily make this Spanish cake whenever you're craving it. Let's talk about the most important ingredients!

• Almonds: I love using Spanish Marcona almonds, but any will do. The traditional Tarta de Santiago recipe uses raw blanched almonds, as the skins can add bitterness. You can optionally toast your almonds for a deeper flavor.
• Lemon Zest: I use the zest from half a lemon for the perfect lemon flavor. Feel free to add more, or omit it entirely.
• Cinnamon: I love the addition of cinnamon to this cake, though many people omit.
• Liquor: The liquor adds moisture and a bit of flavor if you're using a flavored liquor.
• Powdered Sugar: A must for the decoration of the cake! If you can, download a stencil of the Saint James Cross to decorate your Spanish almond cake the traditional way.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions

• Almonds: And if you must substitute another nut, hazelnuts work beautifully.
• Lemon Zest: You can substitute orange zest.
• Liquor: Substitute vanilla, lemon, or almond extract.

How to Make

If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl.
2. Add the sugar.

3. Beat until the mixture lightens in color.
4. Add the lemon zest.

5. Add the liquor.
6. Add the cinnamon and mix until well combined.

7. Fold in the ground almonds.
8. Make sure there's no pockets of unincorporated almonds.

9. Grease a mold.
10. Add the batter, then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes (until light brown and a toothpick comes out clean).

11. When the cake is done, allow it to cool. Cut out a Saint James cross to make a stencil.
12. Cover the cake with the cutout and dust with powdered sugar.

13. When the cake is totally covered with powdered sugar, carefully remove the stencil. Voila! A beautiful tarta de Santiago!
14. Enjoy this tarta de Santiago.

Recipe FAQs

Serve

If you're looking for some other Spanish desserts, you'll want to try these recipes for chocolate olive oil cake, Spanish flan, torijas, and tortas de la abuela.

Store

Leftovers: Store the cake at room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container. It can keep outside of the fridge for up to three days.

Freezing: Freeze slices of the cake for up to three months.

Expert Tips

• Weigh the almonds and sugar for accurate measurements.
• Make sure the eggs are at room temperature so they incorporate more smoothly.
• Be careful not to overbake the cake!
• If you're using a smaller pan, be sure to increase the baking time a little and check with a toothpick for doneness.

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Photography by Giulia Verdinelli