What are common mistakes when making Tarta de Santiago?

Pre-packaged almond flour — the oxidised oils ruin the flavour. Over-baking — the texture becomes dry and crumbly. Applying the stencil while warm — the icing sugar dissolves. Not separating the eggs — the texture becomes too dense.

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SP.43.0002 Spanish

Tarta de Santiago

Galician — Pastry & Desserts

Tarta de Santiago

One of 76 entries · The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden

I · Origin

Santiago de Compostela, Galicia

II · Description

The almond cake of the pilgrimage — marked on the surface with the Cross of Saint James stencilled in icing sugar. Ground almonds, eggs, sugar, and lemon zest: no flour, no butter, no leavening. The result is dense, moist, intensely nutty, and naturally gluten-free. The original recipe appears in records from 1577 as the standard cake of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, given to noble visitors. The quality of the tarta lives in the almonds: freshly ground, not pre-packaged almond flour, which has often been left to oxidise. The eggs must be separated and the whites whisked to soft peak before folding — this is what prevents the cake from being merely a sweet, heavy mass.

I Preparation II Charcuterie Curing III Iberian Moorish Legacy IV Spanishportuguese Proteins Mains V Wet Heat VI Basque Seafood VII Grains And Dough VIII Iberian Shared Technique IX Pastry Technique X Spanishportuguese Soups Stews

Further training content for this entry is being completed.