Tarta de Santiago
This spanish almond cake is the traditional dessert for the feast of St. James the Elder, who is the patron saint of Spain. His cross, the cruz de Santiago, decorates the middle of this 1-layer cake.
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs separated
- ¾ C brown sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 ⅓ C almond flour
- ½ tbsp cinnamon
- ¼ C confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Separate the egg whites and whisk in a stand mixer until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat together the yolks and sugar until pale. Into the yolk mixture, fold in the cinnamon, orange zest, and almond extract.
- Combine the two mixtures and sift in the almond flour. Gently fold it in, being careful not to deflate all of the air that you whipped into the eggs in step 1.
- Once the batter is smooth, pour it into the cake pan and bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes. The top should turn golden brown, and a toothpick should come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before dusting with confectioner's sugar. Place your cut-out of the cruz de Santiago in the middle of the cake and sift over sugar. Remove the stencil and enjoy!