Your email address is required to begin the subscription process. We will use it for customer service and other communications from Milk Street. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.
Milk Street Recipe
Spanish Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)
This recipe is free for a limited time. Start your 14-day free trial to access every Milk Street recipe. Learn More.
This flourless cake from Galicia, Spain, is traditionally made with separated eggs and flavored with citrus and/or cinnamon. We liked it made more simply, with whole eggs and just a small measure of vanilla and almond extracts. A sprinkling of chopped almonds and coarse raw sugar on top of the batter gives the surface a chewy-crisp crust that contrasts wonderfully with the dense, plush crumb of the cake’s interior. Crème fraîche and fresh berries are perfect accompaniments.
240 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) white sugar
3 large eggs, plus 3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 grams (2½ cups) blanched almond flour
35 grams (3 tablespoons) turbinado or demerara sugar
37 grams (⅓ cup) sliced almonds, chopped
Ingredients
-
240
grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) white sugar
-
3
large eggs, plus 3 large egg whites
-
½
teaspoon kosher salt
-
¼
teaspoon almond extract
-
¼
teaspoon vanilla extract
-
250
grams (2½ cups) blanched almond flour
-
35
grams (3 tablespoons) turbinado or demerara sugar
-
37
grams (⅓ cup) sliced almonds, chopped
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with a round of kitchen parchment, then mist the parchment.
-
02In a large bowl, combine the white sugar, whole eggs and egg whites, salt and both extracts. Whisk vigorously until well combined, 30 to 45 seconds; the mixture will be slightly frothy and the sugar will not be fully dissolved. Add the almond flour and whisk until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle evenly with the turbinado sugar and chopped almonds. Bake until deeply browned and the crust feels firm when gently pressed with a finger, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
-
03Run a knife around the edges of the cake, then invert onto a plate. Remove the pan and parchment then re-invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool completely before serving.
Tip: Don't underbake the cake. Rather than use a skewer or toothpick to test the center for doneness, check the browning and crust development. The cake is ready when the surface is deeply browned and the crust feels firm when gently pressed with a finger. Don't serve the cake warm. Its texture is best when fully cooled.
In the store
More
Desserts
FOR FREE ACCESS TO THIS RECIPE, PLEASE ENTER YOUR EMAIL
Thanks, you’re in! You will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to download your digital copy of 12 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook.
Your First Issue
AUGUST 2020
DEBUYER NONSTICK COOKWARE
$299.85 VALUE
- Free Milk Street recipes delivered to your inbox each Monday
- Free Access to every TV and Radio recipe
You will also receive special offers from Milk Street. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.
Entry Form
This cake is amazing! It is super easy to make. I followed the directions exactly. Moist, delicious yet simple. I served with whipped cream and berries for garnish but it is great by itself. This will definitely be a go to recipe.
Heartily agree. I get complimented every time I make this.
Have made many times, easy and a true crowd pleaser!
I love this cake so much and so easy that it has replaced my usual Bundt pan pound cake as my “I feel like a piece of cake” go-to. Welcome, almond flour, to pantry staple status.
The most amazing flavor and texture! We made the cake in a 9" springform pan, which worked very well.
Made this cake for Easter. Simple, easy and delicious! Definitely one of my new go-to favorites!
Can you make this with honey instead of sugar? Would this change the texture?
Hi Winifred,
Great question! I think you'll find this Q&A post helpful: https://www.177milkstreet.com/discussion/discussion/comment/224#Comment_224
Best,
The Milk Street Team
AMAZINGLY easy cake to make and INCREDIBLE TASTE!!! Plus my wife is Gluten free, so it is so hard to find cakes that actually taste great.....This one fits the bill!!! This is a KEEPER RECIPE!!!!
Easy and delicious - the crunchy top works beautifully with the soft, moist crumb of the cake.
Oh my goodness, after watching this recipe on TV, I tried it. It was SO easy and came out WONDERFUL! That's usually not the case for my first time baking a recipe! Ha! I'm super excited about this. A couple women in my bible study group are gluten-free and it's such a struggle for me to find things to make for our dinners (I'm NOT gluten-free). Now I'll have something to surprise them with! Thank you!
This cake was sooooo good-and so easy to put together. I used a 9" pie plate. Delish. Delish.
I am a fan of almond cakes. This cake came recommended when I asked my FB cooking group for an almond cake recipe. I've been hooked ever since. It's hard to believe that a cake without butter can still be delicious buy duh I forgot that I am using almond flour which contains enough natural fat.
Anyway, I do have a baking time question. I just ordered a 4" and 6" paper cake pan and want to bake this cake to give away to friends. Can you give me the approx baking time? I don't want to be opening that oven door too many times to check. Thank you
Hi Christina,
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, there is no way we can give you an approximate baking time without testing. You're going to have to bake with your eyes here. Look for deeply browned crust that feels firm when gently pressed with a finger, as the instruction states.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
It tastes good and easy to make. I only put 1/2 cup of sugar as I wanted to taste the almond and not sugar. I will make it again for sure :)
This cake was lovely...it comes together quickly, and is super easy to make. I made it exactly per the recipe the first time. The only change I made for subsequent bakings, was to use just a light sprinkle of turbinado sugar on the top (3T was too sweet/crunchy for our tastes as originally written). In my oven, the cake is perfectly done in exactly 42 minutes (9" cake pan). This cake is my husbands new favorite.
We can't stop making this recipe. It's too good.
I’ve made this 3 times in the past month. Wonderful recipe.