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 cake recipes, be sure to try my recipes for lemon olive oil cake and Spanish magdalenas.
Jump to:
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.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl.
- Add the sugar.
- Beat until the mixture lightens in color.
- Add the lemon zest.
- Add the liquor.
- Add the cinnamon and mix until well combined.
- Fold in the ground almonds.
- Make sure there's no pockets of unincorporated almonds.
- Grease a mold.
- Add the batter, then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes (until light brown and a toothpick comes out clean).
- When the cake is done, allow it to cool. Cut out a Saint James cross to make a stencil.
- Cover the cake with the cutout and dust with powdered sugar.
- When the cake is totally covered with powdered sugar, carefully remove the stencil. Voila! A beautiful tarta de Santiago!
- Enjoy this tarta de Santiago.
Recipe FAQs
The most basic ingredients are ground almonds, sugar, eggs, and it's flavored with lemon zest and liquor. I like to add a little bit of cinnamon for extra flavor, too!
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! 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.
It is named after Santiago de Compostela and Saint James (Santiago), the patron saint of Galicia. That's why it's decorated with the Saint James cross.
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.
More Delicious Spanish Cake Recipes
If you liked this recipe, please share it with others!
Follow Spanish Sabores on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for more recipes and travel tips.
If you've made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a 5-star review!
Spanish Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago Recipe)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups blanched almonds toasted if desired
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- lemon zest from half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon orujo (Galician grape liquor) or vodka, Cointreau, Amaretto, Grappa, vanilla or almond extract
Toppings
- powdered sugar for dusting
- fresh fruit optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10-inch (25 cm) springform pan with butter.
- 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, then add the lemon zest, liquor, and cinnamon.
- Fold in the ground almonds using a rubber spatula and pour in the almond cake batter.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If it's not baked at 30 minutes, cover the cake with aluminum foil and bake for 5 more minutes, then test again.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan, and then transfer to a serving dish.
- Print out a cross of Saint James, cut it out, and place on the cake. Decorate with powdered sugar, then remove the cross stencil.
- Serve the cake in slices with the fresh fruit if desired.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
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!
Heather
Mine turned out pretty flat but I’ll reserve judgement until we taste it. It’s kind of a tiny recipe—not a lot of bulk. So it looks like a pancake—a small one but I have it wrapped up in plastic wrap for our New Year’s Eve party.
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.