Tarta de Santiago – Copyright Coquere
Tarta de Santiago
Tarta de Santiago has its origin in north-western Spain. Pilgrims have been served this cake since Medieval times on their road to Santiago de Compostela. Tarta de Santiago has been adorned by some with the title of the world’s best cake. It is juicy and has a lovely combination of citrus and almond flavour. This is a easy cake to bake and with relatively few ingredients. Traditionally, it should only be decorated with icing sugar and with a Jacob’s cross. I have baked and decorated the cake traditionally in this recipe.
Ingredients
250 g almond flour
250 g of sugar
5 eggs
150 g of melted butter
Zest of 1 lemon (only the yellow part of the peel)
Zest of ½ orange (only the orange part of the peel)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
4-5 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
Garnish
Traditionally only icing sugar.
Directions:
- Mix together the dry ingredients; almond flour, cinnamon, sugar, lemon zest. (If you wish you can use only lemon or orange. It depends on how much citrus fruits flavour you want).
- In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and pour them into the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is well mixed, but do not whisk it together.
- Stir in the melted butter.
- Finally, add the Amaretto.
Put the dough in a pre-greased 22 cm cake tin.
Bake: 175 ° C, in the middle of the oven – approx. 50 min
Garnish: With icing sugar. You can cut out the Jacob’s cross from cardboard. Place the cross on the cake before you dust it with the icing sugar. Then carefully remove the cross to get the cross pattern.
Served: When the cake is cooled and garnished. It also a nice to complement with ice cream. The cake is suited for freezing.
Allergy: Lactose and gluten free. High FODMAP due to almonds. No higher intake than 12 g of almonds is recommended regarding FODMAP. That equals 1/20 piece of cake.
The origin of the cake: Tarta de Santiago
The design of Jacob’s cross: Cross of Saint James