Tarta de Santiago - Almond Cake from Gallegas

Tarta de Santiago - Almond Cake from Gallegas

This flourless almond cake can be traced back centuries. Light and moist, it is often eaten as a midday snack with tea or coffee, or as a dessert after a heavy main course.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Spanish

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Soaking Cake: 2

Total Time: 3

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment
Two 8-inch round cake pans
Food processor

Ingredients

1 cup Sugar
¼ tsp Lemon zest
7 Egg, yolks and whites separated
½ lb Almond, ground fine in food processor
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Chopped or ground almond for garnish

Topping

1 cup Heavy cream
¼ tsp Sugar
1 tsp Strong coffee or espresso powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare Cake - Cream sugar, lemon zest, and egg yolks in stand mixer with whisk attachment until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in almonds and cinnamon. Remove to a bowl and wash out bowl in cold water. Whisk egg whites in bowl until they become stiff (but not dry). Stir a few tbsp of the egg white into the egg yolk mixture, then fold the rest in. Pour into greased 8-inch cake pans. Rinse out bowl and whisk and put both in freezer.
Bake Cake - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Put cake pans in oven and bake for 45 minutes until they are well browned. Cool briefly and then remove from pans.
Finish Cake - Whip the cream with sugar and coffee until stiff. Spread between layers, and cover top and sides. Sprinkle with chopped or ground almonds. Let sit a few hours on the counter to allow cream to moisten the cake. Serve.

Notes

To decorate the cake as it's done in Spain, place a cut-out of the Saint James' Cross or Fleur de Lis on top of the cake, dust powdered sugar over the top of the cake, remove the cutout and voila.

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