No flour. Tarta de Santiago is a classic Spanish recipe of medieval origin.
The cake has a rich history tied to the Galicia region of Spain and the famous pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago.
Today, the cake holds a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the European Union, ensuring that only cakes made in the Autonomous Community of Galicia using a minimum of 33% almonds can be authentically called Tarta de Santiago.
Break 3 eggs into a bowl, add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat well.
Get 2 cups of whole raw plain almonds. Grind them to whatever level you like. I like a course grind, but a fine grind will produce a different tasting cake. Add the ground almonds to the bowl.
Carefully grate the rind off an orange and a lemon. Do not get any of the underneath white flesh. You want pure rind only. This is a very important step. Add to the bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of honey (or molasses or treacle), 2 generous splashes of olive oil and a splash of almond extract. Mix all ingredients well.
Turn into a loaf pan that has been greased with olive oil or butter, then bake at 350F until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean, not long, about 15 or 20 minutes.
Turn out, let cool and serve.
Tech Notes:
Don't use pre-ground almonds, they will produce a dry cake. Grind the almonds fresh.
Some people add a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Don't forget to preheat oven.
As in all cooking, use the best quality ingredients you can afford.
Some people like to top the cake with sliced almonds before baking.
Grease the loaf pan with butter or olive oil so the cake turns out easily. I use a springform pan just to be sure.
The variety of orange makes a difference. Seville oranges would be classic Spanish but they are difficult to find. Valencia oranges are mush easier to get.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com
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