What Is Spanish Almond Cake?
Spanish almond cake or widely known as tarta de Santiago (St. James cake) is a traditional Galician cake. Galicia is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
This cake doesn't have any type of flour in it, making it a great option for those who practise gluten-free diet.
The cake can either be with a base or not. The base can be a shortcut pastry or puff pastry.
It is typically dusted with icing sugar with an imprint of Santiago's (St. James) cross.
Today I'm sharing with you my take on this delicious traditional Spanish almond cake without the base.
Let's start.
What Makes It Special?
Simple Ingredients
What I find so special about this cake is the simplicity of its ingredients.
The main ingredients for this cake are almond meal, eggs and sugar. Yep, extremely basic ingredients, which of course make this cake a super easy one to prepare.
Simple Ratio
Apart from only having 3 main ingredients, each ingredient is the same weight to the other. You can see it in my written recipe below.
Having that simple and basic guide (you know I don't like to be bound by rules in cooking), the easiest way to start building your Spanish almond cake is by determining the amount of eggs that you will use.
1 large egg = 50 g.
Meaning using 1 large egg will also need 50 g of almond meal and 50 g of sugar.
Simple!
Simple Unique Look
As I mentioned earlier, this cake is dusted with icing sugar with an imprint of Santiago's cross on its top surface.
You can also make an imprint of a scallop shell. Or with no imprint at all. Your choice.
My Spanish Almond Cake
For this recipe I'm keeping it simple like the typical traditional recipes out there, using the same amount for the main ingredients.
Typically only a bit of lemon zest is added but I like to add a good amount of it, together with some clementine zest.
I love baking with lemon, clementine and orange zest during this time of year.
I'm also adding a bit of cinnamon powder and salt. I think a touch of salt is always amazing when a recipe uses quite amount of sugar, like in this case.
If you love almond cake, I would really recommend you to try this Spanish almond cake.
Before You Go
Do you want to see more nuts related recipes? Perhaps you can check these out:
- Scandinavian almond cake
- Hazelnut cake
- Almond and pear cake
- Almond London cookies
- Carrot cake with pineapple and pecans
You can look for more recipes in my recipe page.
Video
๐ Recipe
Spanish Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs , room temperature
- ยพ cup sugar (150 gr)
- 1 ยฝ cup almond meal (150 gr)
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- zest of 1 clementine
- icing sugar , for dusting on top
Instructions
- Add eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk until the mixture turns pale.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except for icing sugar and using a spatula, gently fold everything until well combine.
- Pour batter into a 7 inch (18 cm) springform pan that has been buttered and floured. Bake in a preheated oven at 360ยบF (180ยบC) for 40 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked.
- Cool completely. Place the Santiago cross cut out on top and dust generous amount of icing sugar all over the cake. Carefully remove the cut out. Slice and serve, enjoy!
Aarti says
You never disappoint Bae..just made this cake and it is heavenly. I used Almond flour though, because thatโs what I had on hand ( because thatโs what Costco sells lol). Added 25g more than the said quantity. I also used a stand mixer for whisking egg and sugar , on high setting for 5 minutes. The resulting mixture was very pale and the batter felt light and airy while pouring in the pan. I made it in a normal cake pan. The first slice was messy but after that it is easy to cut and serve. I always make your lemon loaf, lemon almond cake, but i think now this is my new favourite.
Chris says
great cake for the holidays.
gluten free
dairy free
i use allulose and or monkfruit to make low carb as well
i also use sliced blanched almonds before cooking
everyone loves this. its great with coffee...
i use almond flour btw. its really amazing. it does dry out quickly, eat it within 2days
Bea & Marco says
We're happy to hear that you liked it. Thanks for leaving your comment and sharing your version of the recipe, especially about the almond flour as somebody was asking about it. We have a healthy peach upside down cake that's also gluten-free, if you're interested. Happy holidays!
Batsheva Gillat says
Thank you for creating and posting this wonderful recipe.
We were in Spain a few times and LOVED this cake.
I would like to know if Almond Flour can be used instead of the Almond meal as suggested in your recipe.
I would LOVE to get your response.
Looking forward to your reply,
Batsheva
Bea & Marco says
Hi Batsheva! I'm sorry for the late response. Yes you can use almond flour but since the texture is more fine than almond meal, perhaps you'd need to add a bit more to get the consistency shown in the video. Hope it helps!
Richard says
Greetings from Singapore. I baked twice for friends' birthday and all enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing this foolproof recipe. A must to try.
Rosi says
El trabajo que me costรณ encontrar de nuevo tu receta. La guardรฉ en favoritos y, por alguna razรณn no se me guardรณ. Pero el que la sigue, la consigue, como dice el refrรกn. Estรก suave y exquisita.Gracias por compartirla. Voy a hacerla para maรฑana.
Bea & Marco says
Estoy feliz que te haya encontrado esta receta de nuevo! Muchas personas han hecho esto y les encanto, espero que a ti tambien te encanta. Muchas gracias!
Margrit Delvoie says
Itโs a delicious cake. I have made it several times a little different with what I extra added such as lemon and/or orange but we prefer the simple 3 ingredients way with just a few drops of vanilla extract.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.๐๐ฝ
Bea & Marco says
Yay! I'm happy that you're enjoying it, thank you for sharing your version of it, and of course your feedback โค๏ธ.
Helen says
This cake was very easy to make! Delicious and moist. I made it almost 24 hours before I wanted to serve it (and wrapped it lighty with foil after it cooled) and it was still very nice. Two thoughts - I increased the amounts by 1/3 (which was so easy to do following the handy sugar/nuts/egg ratio - 187 gms each) but my guess is that the original recipe wud serve 6 people vs 8. I used a few drops of almond flavouring, the lemon zest, and orange zest vs clementine b/c: no clementine on hand. I'd definitely use buttered parchment paper at the bottom of the spring-form pan b/c it was hard to dislodge it and it wanted to break a bit. The surface also cracked quite a bit on the top as it cooled. Any suggestions? It didn't matter, however, b/c I covered it with icing sugar. I have been asked to make this again! Thanks!
Helen K says
p.s. That was a typo in what I said. I meant that I increased amounts by 1/4 not 1/3.
Bea & Marco says
Hi Helen! Sorry to hear that the cake cracked! Most probably it had to do with the oven temperature, it was too high. The cake rose too fast in the oven and retracted when it cooled down, hence the cracks. I use a portable oven thermometer all the time (if not my oven temperature would go off by 30-50 C). As for the portion, I guess it depends on the individuals. But since this cake is rich, 8 portions sounds great. Love to hear your variation on the cake and that you liked it! It's a traditional cake here in Spain. Thank you so much for leaving your feedback and your lovely comment, Helen!
Bonnie Adlam says
Easy and very delicious. I sprinkle chopped almonds and demera sugar on top before I bake it.
Marisa says
So easy and so delicious! Thanks!!
Amorn Thang says
Best simple recipe with best results and taste. Thank you very much for sharing.
translating-service.com says
Easy to understand, step by step explanation. Thanks
Bea says
Happy that you liked it, thanks!
Janet says
This cake is delicious and so quick and easy to make. My seven year old grandson has celiac disease and this is by far his favourite cake.
Ann Willis Scott says
Lovely recipe. I plan to make it again right now in small cupcake size.. I hope it works!.
Bea says
Happy that you liked it, Ann! Yes it'll work, just adjust the baking time. Have fun!
Janet says
This cake is delicious. So moist and flavourful and so easy to make.
Bea says
Yeay! Thanks Janet!
Karen says
This sounds perfect for a Spanish themed party we're attending. I have a 9" spring form pan. Should I double this recipe to use that pan?
Bea says
Hi Karen! I think making 1.5 batch is enough for your pan. Hope it helps and have fun!
Maria says
Recipe sounds easy and delicious..
I am wondering, do you not need baking powder? Will it rise, almond meal being heavy?
Thank you.
Bea says
Hi Maria! In this "old style" recipe, the leavening agent is eggs and sugar (that's whisked until pale), instead of baking powder. It's not going to rise like a sponge cake but the texture is soft. Many have made it and loved it. Hope it helps.
Meethi says
Great recipe. I had saved this recipe for a long time and I wanted to bake this for New Year eve party. When I was getting ready for making it only then I realized that there is no butter/oil. I got a little skeptical. Nevertheless I made it and was so happy that I did. It is such a good cake, everyone in the party loved it. Such a moist and perfectly sweet cake. I doubled the recipe and made in 8" pan, baked it on 350C for about 35 min.
Thanks for this delicious recipe!!
Meethi says
Sorry forgot to give the rating. All 5 stars from my side ๐
Bea says
Well, thank you so much, Meethi! Do check around here for more cake recipes, I'm sure you're going to love them โค๏ธ.
Bea says
Super happy to know that you gave it a try anyway, Meethi!
Bonnie Adlam says
Very easy to make.Everyone loves it. I sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar and finely chopped sliced almonds before I bake it and skip the powdered sugar.
Bea says
That sounds delicious, Bonnie! Thanks for your feedback.
James says
Many thanks for this recipe! I made this and it tasted great... but there were two distinct layers of the cake after baking, as if it separated and the almond flour "cakey" part had a quarter inch layer of gooey-er part on top (kind of like a pecan pie filling texture).
Any thoughts on why or how to prevent that?
Bea says
Hi James! Perhaps the cake was undercooked? Because it's not supposed to have any gooey texture. Try baking it a few minutes more until when you insert a skewer in the center, it comes out clean. Hope it helps and let me know how it goes.
AMY says
I jt made this cake. The combination of tastes from the almonds, lemon & orange is very unami. Every bite is a refreshing citrus aftertaste. Even without butter/oil, the cake crumb is moist. I split this recipe into 2x 5" tins to make mini cakes. The cake still rose well in the oven. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing. All the way from Penang, Malaysia.
Bea says
That's awesome, Amy! Yes, this is a keeper in my opinion also ๐. If you love this, then you'd might also love my orange olive oil cake. Let me know if you gave it a go. Thank you for your feedback Amy and have a wonderful day ahead!
yhk says
Amazing recipe, thank you! I made mini Bundt cakes and it was to die for. And I donโt really like cake much. Muchas gracias de Australia!
(Forgot to give you 5 stars in my first comment!)
Bea says
That's awesome! I'm happy to hear that. If you liked this, maybe you'd like my orange olive oil cake also. Do let me know if you give it a try. Thank you so much for your feedback! โค๏ธ๐
YHK says
Amazing recipe, thank you! I made mini Bundt cakes and it was to die for. And I donโt really like cake much. Muchas gracias de Australia!
Niamh says
I LOVE this cake!! I was looking for a recipe after first discovering this cake two years ago in work and this one was delish! Your explanation of the ratios with the eggs was very helpful in decreasing the recipe quantity (I was filling two mini cake tins). Highly recommend this recipe ๐
Bea says
Hi Niamh! Happy to know that you find it useful and that you liked the cake. Thank you so much for your feedback! ๐
Dan says
I would like to know if you can freeze this cake. Looks amazing.
Bea says
Yes, you can. Hope it helps ๐
CC says
If I were to make this recipe in a 9" springform pan, what adjustments would I have to make to the recipe?
Bea says
Multiply all ingredients for 1.4 for a 9 inch pan. Hope it helps!
Emily says
If making our own almond meal, what weight of whole almonds would you advise starting with? Should they be toasted first?
Bea says
Hi Emily! You can toast them first or not, your choice. I'd suggest you blend 1 cup first and go from there, to get more or less the feeling of how much more you'd need. Hope it helps!
Theresa says
Hi this looks amazing. I can't use sugar being a diabetic so I use Splenda. Would that work? and if so should I add baking powder since its the combo of sugar and eggs that gives the rise?
Bea says
Hi Theresa. I haven't tried it with Spenda so I can't say for sure. And yes, some baking powder is needed to help with the rise in this case, perhaps 1 1/2 - 2 tsp would do? Not sure how the texture would be though since beating sugar and eggs also makes it lighter. Let me know how it goes.
Shey says
Hi - can I make almond meal from whole unsalted almonds? Should they be blanched? I am having a hard time finding almond meal.
Thanks so much!
Bea says
Hi Shey! You can use either either. Unblanched will give the cake a slightly darker colour (due to the almond skin). And yes, use unsalted ones. Hope it helps.
Maureen Siwy says
Hi Bea, I just finished baking your recipe of Spanish Almond Cake..and turned out perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe, youโre awesome ๐
Bea says
Hi Maureen! That's awesome! I'm happy to know you enjoyed it ๐ Thanks for leaving your comment.
Marissa says
I baked mine in a cast iron frying pan with parchment paper. It turned out gorgeous and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Bea says
That's great to know Marissa! Thank you ๐
Mari says
Very yummy! ๐
Bea says
Thank you Mari ๐!
Yohanna says
How many calories? Thanks
Carol J says
I have been looking for a good recipe for this cake for so long โฆ then I found yours!
But, I only have an 8inch springform tin. How can I adjust the quantities please?
Bea says
Hi Carol! For an 8 inch pan, multiply all ingredients by 1.2. Hope you give it a try!
Lisa Andrew says
Can I double the recipe ? And make it in one pan
Bea says
Yes, you can but you'll need to adjust the cooking time though. Hope it helps.
Treva says
Hi. I noticed the video says keep cake in for 30 minutes and the recipe instructions say 40 minutes. Which is it?
Thanks ๐
Liza G says
I love this recipe! Your version is easy and delicious. Three years ago, my husband & I visited Santiago de Compostela with another couple and tasted this cake in local restaurant. The recipe I got from our tour guide was not easy and delicious like yours. Thank you for sharing it. I shared it with my sister that came with us too.
Keep up the good work, you're awesome ๐๐
Bea says
That's awesome! I'm happy that this cake reminds you of the place! Thank you for your feedback and have a great day ahead Liza!
Bernard France says
Hi Iโm a casual baker and having a go at this cake next week. Sugar use, should it be granulated or caster?
Bea says
Hi Bernard! You can use granulated sugar, hope it helps.
John says
Looking good
Bea says
Thanks John!
Lauretta says
I made this once already and we loved it! Iโm wondering if I can I make this the night before and store overnight? What is the best way to store it? Thanks!
Bea says
Hi Lauretta! Yes, you can make this a day before (tastes even better). Just keep it in an airtight container, at room temperature. Hope it helps.
Indra says
Cake was delicious! Turned out light and fluffy and super easy to make. I used orange zest instead of clementine and added half tsp almond extract. I will definitely be using this recipe as a gluten free alternative. Thanks so much for sharing ๐ค.
Bea says
I'm happy to know that it turned out great for you. Thank you for your feedback Indra!
Terry Arrow says
This cake is the best. Light & fluffy. Perfect with a good cup of tea/coffee.
Do you think adding a little baking powder would enhance the rise? Coz it did sink a little in the middle. Not a criticism itโs delightfully delicious ๐
Bea says
Hi Terry! Yes you can add some baking powder if you want, no problem. Regardless, I'm glad that you liked it! Thank you for your feedback ๐
Lauretta says
Do you have a copy of the Santiagoโs cross to print out by any chance?
Bea says
I don't, unfortunately. But you can google "tarta de santiago cruz" and you'll get lots of options to choose and print. Hope it helps.
Rashmi says
Hi Bea, Just want to confirm that there's no butter or oil in this recipe.
Bea says
Yes Rashmi, no butter/oil. ๐
Neha Saxena says
Can't wait to try this!
How does this work without baking soda or baking powder?
Bea says
It needs some leavening agent though. Hope it helps!
Neha Saxena says
Thank you fr your response. There is no baking soda or baking powder in the recipe. What leavening agent is working here?
Bea says
Sorry! I mistake it for my other almond cake recipe. For this recipe, when you beat sugar and eggs until pale, that's the "leavening agent".
Vivian says
Wwaw what a delecious cake, i made it today and was perfect๐๐
Bea says
Awesome Vivian! ๐
Julio Gonzalez says
Can I make it with almond flour? I canโt find almond meal...
Bea says
I've never used almond flour but since they're both the same, only difference is the texture, why not, right? ๐
Karen Fox says
I have made 2 Spanish Almond Cakes using the Milk Street recipe. The texture of the interior of the cake was more dense - that of a macaroon. Delicious, but only about 1" high. That recipe calls for almond flour.
When I saw your recipe & photo it looked more like a "cake" - light. Your recipe calls for almond meal.
I've ordered a 7" springform off of Amazon & will pick up the Almond Meal from TJ. I'll let you know how it turns out !
Could the difference in the flour make that much difference? Your thoughts please. Thank you!!
Bea says
Hi Karen! Almond flour and almond meal are similar, the only difference is the texture. One is finer than the other. For this one, I'm making the recipe the traditional way, with the same weight ratio for eggs, almond flour and sugar. Also remember to fold gently to keep the air in (making the cake light). Hope it helps and have fun! ๐
Karen Fox says
Hi Bea -Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I've gotten the almond meal, now I'm just waiting for my 7" springform
to arrive. I'm anxious to try your recipe, and will let you know how it turns out.
I do have one more question. What type of salt are you using? Table salt, kosher salt?
Bea says
No, there's nothing to be anxious about Karen ๐! Just follow the instructions and you're going to do great ๐. And I use Himalayan salt, hope it helps.
Andrea says
Have made this several times now. It's so perfect. I want to double it... actually it's in the oven right now. Wondering if you have any suggestions on bake time?
Gloria Arango says
Love your work! You use tangerine peel combined with lemon rind and a dash of salt just like my mom would have done! Your way brings a Master Piece! Thanks.
Bea says
Oh that's wonderful Gloria! Thank you so much for your support and comment! XOXO
Pan says
Amazing Protein Cake!
Bea says
Thank you Pan! Iโm happy to know you liked it ๐
Linda Shannon says
This is a wonderful recipe! The first try was so delicious I made it again the next day to give to relatives.
Bea says
Yay ๐ so happy to know that Linda! Thanks for trying the recipe and your support!
Andrea Diacono says
Do you think honey could be substituted for the sugar?
Bea says
Hi Andrea, sorry I havenโt tried so I canโt say for sure. Let me know if you try!
Josua Gerasch says
Very nice recipe, my wife and I met on the El Camino de Santiago and always loved a good slice of tarta de Santiago!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Bea says
Oh that's so wonderful! Cheers to both of you and tarta de Santiago! ๐ ๐
Gwen Arrand says
Delicious and oh so easy..x
Bea says
Right? Thanks for your feedback Gwen! XOXO
Paula says
Does anyone know what the conversion would be if using almond flour instead of almond meal?
Cat says
Iโm pretty sure they are the same thing. Almond flour can be finely ground. The best price for. Almond flour is at Costco.
Carol abram says
I made this cake. It was good but darker than yours. What kind of almond meal do you use?
Trish Thompson says
Why are people praising this cake and yet not rating it???
Well I made it last weekend and it came out fabulous! I was surprise on how light it was. I thought it would be a dense cake for the almond meal. Very easy recipe with great result.
For that, thank you!
Bea says
Haha! Well thank you so much for your rating Trish ๐ ! Yes, it's light isn't it? I'm happy to know that you liked it.
Chuck McCollom says
Almond cake sounds unusual and I would l8ke to try it, but I have never heard of almond meal. Is there a different name for it? We really enjoyed your chocolate peanut butter no bake cheese cake however at the get together there was nothing left for us to take home. It was really a hit.
Bea says
That's awesome Chuck, I'm happy to hear that you and the rest loved it ๐ . Almond meal is simply ground almond with a coarse texture. Not to be mistaken with almond flour though. I hope you'll give this almond cake a try, let me know what you think. Thank you!
Emme says
Thank you soooo much for this recipe. Iโm gluten intolerant, Iโm definitely trying this recipe! ๐ so simple, I almost want start right now!
Bea says
You're welcome Emme! Yes it's super easy to make and only needs a few ingredients. Hope you'll like it as much as we do. Thank you!
Astrid Horward says
Absolutely delicious, Bea! I made it yesterday and was delighted with the outcome: the lightless and softness of the cake, the delicate citrussy flavour. And again you made things SO easy! Itโs a cake that could be an excellent dessert too. Thank you! Another one to add to โMy Favoritesโ :))
Bea says
That's awesome! Happy to know that you loved it Astrid ๐ Yes it's light and soft, even not having any leavening agent in it. We first tried it when we went to Galicia around 7 years ago and it was delicious. But as always, nothing beats fresh homemade ones. Thank you Astrid! ๐
Astrid says
Am thinking of decorating the cake with a Christmas star instead and then adding it to our Christmas menu for this year. Its simplicity and sumptuousness (it really tastes even better the day after!) makes it a worthy competitor for Christmas desserts! But no doubt, youโll be tempting me with other beautiful recipes before then... ๐
Bea says
That sounds wonderful Astrid! A perfect look for Christmas ๐ And yes, you're right. It does taste better the next day. Since it's cold now, I left it covered on the kitchen top for several days before taking it to our family gathering. Tasted yum! ๐