This delicious Spanish almond cake is one of the most popular desserts in all of Spain. My 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!
One of the first Spanish desserts I fell head over heels for was the tarta de Santiago, a simple Spanish almond cake that hails from Galicia, but is found on nearly any dessert menu in Spain.
The slice I was served looked as humble as could be, and I began to doubt my choice. But with the first bite of moist cake I felt like I’d eaten a handful of almonds. I was hooked.
The almond cakes I grew up eating were flavored with potent almond extract– delicious I’ll admit, but nothing like the almond sweets here in Spain, where the star of the show is always the raw almond itself.
When I finally decided to try a tarta de Santiago recipe at home, I was hoping to get that perfect almond taste and dense (yet somehow light!) texture. I tried four different Spanish almond cake recipes — one of them even came from cloistered convent nuns!
I kept searching until I finally found what seemed to be the perfect recipe in one of my mother-in-law’s old cookbooks. The old scribbled-down recipe for tarta de Santiago was simple, and sounded like what I had fallen in love with.
Today I want to share the perfect Spanish almond cake recipe with you — my favorite version of tarta de Santiago.
Key Ingredients
Key Ingredients: Almonds, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, liquor, powdered sugar
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
The beauty of this cake is its simplicity — you only need seven ingredients:
- Almonds: I love using Spanish Marcona almonds, but any will do. The traditional Tarta de Santiago recipe uses raw (peeled) almonds, as the skins can give a bitter taste. You can optionally toast your almonds for a deeper flavor. And if you must substitute another nut, hazelnuts work beautifully.
- Eggs: 5 of the best eggs you can buy!
- Sugar: Normal white refined sugar is what we use here in Spain. But feel free to experiment here. Let me know how it goes.
- Lemon Zest: I use the zest from half a lemon for the perfect lemon flavor. Feel free to add more (or omit). You can substitute orange zest.
- 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 using a flavored liquor). But you can substitute vanilla, lemon, or almond extract.
- 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.
Spanish Almond Cake: Step by Step
This traditional tarta de Santiago is super simple. You really can’t go wrong! Follow along for a full tutorial, or keep scrolling down for the printable recipe card with exact measurements.
Steps 1-4: Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture lightens in color then add the lemon zest.
Steps 5-8: Add the liquor and the cinnamon and mix well. Then fold in the ground almonds.
Steps 9-10: Grease a mold and add the batter. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes (until light brown and a toothpick comes out clean).
Steps 11-14: When the cake is done, allow it to cool. Then use a stencil to make the shape of the Saint James cross on top. Cover the cake with the cutout and dust with powdered sugar. When totally covered, carefully remove the stencil. Voila! A beautiful tarta de Santiago!
Recipe Tips & FAQs
Making this cake is super simple, but be careful not to over bake it. A dry tarta de Santiago is no fun!
The first mention of this Spanish almond cake dates back to 1577. It was known for being a mix of equal parts almonds, eggs, and sugar. It is named after Santiago de Compostela and Saint James (Santiago), the patron saint of Galicia.
It is! A traditional tarta de Santiago recipe does not include any wheat flour (only ground almonds). This makes the Spanish almond cake recipe naturally gluten free.
Store your leftover cake at room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container. It can keep outside of the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze slices of the cake for up to three months.
More Delicious Spanish Cake Recipes
If you love this easy Spanish almond cake, don’t miss these!
Spanish Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago Recipe)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups ground almonds Very full cups (250 g). Use raw, peeled almonds for best results. You can optionally toast them in the oven for a deeper almond flavor.
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (250 g)
- 5 eggs
- lemon zest from half a lemon
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp liquor (15 ml) Your preference – in Galicia we use a grape liquor called orujo. You can use vodka, Cointreau, Amaretto, Grappa. And vanilla or almond extract can be substituted if you don't want to include alcohol!
Toppings
- Powdered sugar to dust
- Fresh fruit not traditional but I love it
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground, however be careful not to turn the mixture to almond butter by over processing.
- Beat the egg and sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy.
- Add the lemon zest, liquor, and cinnamon.
- Fold in the ground almonds using a rubber spatula.
- Grease a 10 inch (25 cm) springform pan with butter and pour in the almond cake batter.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. Test with a toothpick and if it doesn't come out clean cover the cake with aluminum foil and bake for five more minutes, then test again. Do this one more time if necessary (for 40 minutes in total).
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan, and then transfer to a serving dish.
- Decorate with powdered sugar, if you wish you can download a printout of the emblematic cross of Saint James.
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notice: This recipe was originally published on June 7, 2015, and was republished with new text on September 16, 2021.
My tarta de Santiago recipe may not be very complicated, but it is packed with flavor. It comes out perfectly moist and tastes like its ingredients– almonds, sugar, and eggs.
What do you think? Is my Spanish almond cake on the menu this week? I hope so!
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Olga Ralston
Best recipes ever!
Kathy
Hi, is that 2 cups of almonds that you then grind or 2 cups of already grounded almonds?
Deborah Klick
I made this yesterday for a dear friend who is from Spain as a surprise. I wondered when first read it about “pricking” the crust since you do not do that unless you are pre-baking the crust. I’d read comments about the thickness of crust and some whose filling didn’t set, etc. I made a few adjustments to insure against such as adding a tablespoon of flour to filling as well as just patting my dough out into greased pan instead of rolling it; also watched it carefully and did have to add time since it wouldn’t set/brown. Basically I treated it like a custard pie, baking at higher temp for several minutes and lowering temp for remainder. Looks great! I’ll use a stencil and power-sugar top before I take it. We’ll see…..probably won’t make again UNLESS it is really liked.
Dani
can I use almond flour instead of grounding Almonds?
RICHARD MOODY
I just tried your tarta de santiago recipe and the filling never firmed up, it was like soup.
I followed your recipe, is there something missing, or did I do something wrong
Dick
Lauren Aloise
Hi there, so sorry to hear that! I’m not sure what could have happened – I have made it a few times and it always sets in the oven!
Celeste Mann
I finally made this recipe today. It came out fantastic!! I had tried a different recipe last year and this one was far superior. I did not change a thing. I prepared for a birthday dinner for a friend and the guests raved about it and had seconds. One of the hosts is from Spain too, and said it was very good. This recipe will be my “go to” from now on for Tarta de Santiago.
theresa
Do I need to blanch the almonds before grinding?
Lauren Aloise
Not necessary, but as you wish! Skins should be removed though.
Pat Federico
Lauren…! I am have a Tapas dinner for 4 and would love to make your Tarta…. just wondering…….. can I substitute almond flour for All Purpose for the crust?.
Thanks for your advice….. Pat
Lauren Aloise
I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work! Let me know if you experiment!
Celeste Mann
I enjoyed a tarta de Santiago in Madrid last time I was there. I’ve been looking at different recipes–some use flour, some use crushed almonds or almond flour only (making it a good option for celias or Passover). Did you try making it without the wheat flour? What are your thoughts on that?
JD
I made this tarta today (2/18/17) and found the filling very good. The crust had good flavor but was incredible tough. Would probably leave it off next time.
Yafa
Hi
I just made this cake and the crust was too crumbly, and I couldn’t roll it at all – adding more flour just made more crumbly, and adding more water made too tough after baking. I was wondering if the recipe was missing some oil ingredient for the crust.
Also for me 30 minutes baking wasn’t enough – next time I will bake for longer.
All in all – the recipe is great in its taste and simplicity – and will definitely try to make it again until I get it to look as your photo
Thank you!
Lauren Aloise
Hmm, I’m not sure what might have happened! It is a crumbly crust, but should hold its consistency.
Celeste Mann
I prepared it today and it was delicious. I added another tablespoon of water to the dough so that it held together and I was able to roll it out. It was not crumbly but I liked it. I also baked it for another 10-15 minutes. Ovens are differen and flours are differentt. When I stuck in a fork and it seemed too gooey, I sent it back in.
Wilfried
I am going to make your cake today (12/3) for a Tapas evening with friends on Sunday; did I miss it or did you omit the size pan that would work best?
Thanks – Wilfried
Kristin
Thank you for this recipe,l had almond meal so it was quick easy recipe but next time l will cook the base filled with baking paper and rice looked alittle under cooked.
Margi
Looks delicious. What size pan, please?
Wilfried
Since there was no answer- I used a 9 inch Glass Pie Pan which seems to be the correct size for the amount of crust and filling.
Kirsten
My exact question! Thanks, Wilfried.
Lauren Aloise
That’s the size I used too! Excuse the late reply– will adjust!
Maddy
El pastel era delicioso! Que era muy húmedo y el equililibro perfecto de dulce y amargo.
alice
Instead of purchasing almonds and putting them in the processor, can I just buy ground almonds and use that instead? Not sure if they’d be too fine…..
Thanks
Alice
Lauren Aloise
I’ve never tried it Alice, but don’t see why not!
suellen
Can you use almond flour instead of crushed almonds? Thanks!
Lauren Aloise
Almond flour wouldn’t work– has to be crushed or group almonds.
Olivia
I was wondering if you could refriger this cake for a few days and it would still be fine. Also would using a smaller mold work better with plating?
Lauren Aloise
I haven’t tried either but I don’t see why not! It would definitely last– they sell this cake in boxes for months after it’s made. Sugar is a preservative!
Martha Coacher
We just came back from Spain and I fell in love with a cake I had in Segovia that resembles your recipe. I can’t wait to try it out!! Thanks for posting this!
Martha
Lauren Aloise
Yum! That was probably Ponche Segoviano!
Cat of Sunshine and Siestas
Mine is in the over right now!
Lauren Aloise
How was it?!
Trevor Huxham
Such a simple, delicious dessert, and I love the idea of garnishing it with a minty sweet strawberry salad, strawberry-shortbread-style 🙂
Of course, tarta de Santiago at its most “enxebre” (essential) eschews the flour crust for merely almonds, sugar, eggs, and powdered sugar, but making it with a crust adds a nice crunchy contrast to the moist almond dough.