Spanish Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)

A tarta de Santiago or Spanish almond cake on a platter on the table.

4.67 from 89 votes

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

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Spanish

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 383kcal

Author: Gabriela

Equipment

Ingredients

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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition