Sweet
Spanish almond cake — tarta de Santiago
Flourless, fragrant with orange and lemon zest, dusted with icing sugar in the cross of Saint James — the most generous dessert for the smallest amount of work.
The classic ending to a Spanish meal — and a brilliant one for entertaining because it's naturally gluten-free, it's better the next day, and it needs nothing more than a cup of coffee or a small glass of sweet sherry alongside. Stencil the cross of Saint James on top with a paper cut-out before dusting with icing sugar, and you have a showstopper.
Method
- 01
Heat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional. Butter a 23cm round springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
- 02
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together until pale, thick and tripled in volume — about 4 minutes with electric beaters. This is the only lift the cake gets, so don't rush it.
- 03
Gently fold in the ground almonds, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla, brandy and salt, keeping as much air in the batter as you can.
- 04
Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden, just set in the middle, and a skewer comes out with only a moist crumb.
- 05
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
- 06
Cut a paper cross of Saint James (or any cross) and lay it gently on the cake. Dust thickly with icing sugar, then lift the stencil away in one clean move. Serve at room temperature with cream, sweet sherry, or strong coffee.
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