Spanish Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)
A delicious Spanish dessert made with almond flour that keeps this cake gluten-free too. In Spain, this cake is served around the holidays or during the Semana Santa before Easter Sunday.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Spanish
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 383kcal
- 5 eggs large
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ⅔ cups blanched almond flour
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter for the pan
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting the cake
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Rub the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is foamy.
Add the almond flour, cinnamon and lemon zest and fold them in gently to make sure you don't remove the air from the mixture.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Take the cake out of the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Give it a good 10 to 15 minutes to cool down before you attempt to take it out of the pan. Once it's ready, go ahead and sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top.
Expert tips:
Room-Temperature Eggs: Using eggs that have been brought to room temperature can make a difference in the texture of your cake.
Overbaking Alert: Almond flour can be a bit tricky. To avoid overbaking, keep an eye on the cake during the final 10 minutes. Overbaked almond flour can turn overly crumbly and dry.
Almond Flour: Check the freshness of your almond flour. If it's stale or rancid, it can affect the overall taste of the cake. Store almond flour in the fridge to extend its shelf life.
Note on baking at high altitudes:
I got a message from someone who lives at a high altitude, and the recipe did not work for her. If you find yourself in this situation, remember that baking at high altitude is a complex matter that requires a little bit of science and practice.
My recipes are not tested for high altitude, as I have no way of doing that, so I cannot give you specific information on what you need to do.
However, I can give you some websites where you can learn how to bake when you live at a high altitude.
Colorado State University- High altitude food preparation
New Mexico State University- High-altitude cooking
King Arthur- High-Altitude Baking
Betty Crocker- Baking and Cooking at High Altitudes
Serving: 1g | Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg