A dense, lemon-scented cake of ground almonds, sugar and eggs, unmarked by flour, finished with the Cross of Saint James in powdered sugar. You slice it thin. It is meant to travel.
The tarta is Galician, now protected as a geographical indication, and has long been associated with the Camino — almonds, eggs and sugar being goods that keep. Cinnamon and lemon zest are the only perfume. There is no butter, no flour, and no need of either.
Serve at room temperature. A sweet Galician wine, or a glass of Moscatel. The stencil is not decoration; without the cross it is an almond cake, and with it, Santiago. Don't try to fluff it; density is the point.
Method
- 01
Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch tin well and line the base with parchment — this cake has no flour and can stick. That's all the preparation you need. There is no butter in the batter, no flour, and no need of either; almonds, sugar, and eggs will do the whole job.
- 02
Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is thick, pale, and leaves a ribbon when you lift the whisk. Fold in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and cinnamon with a light hand, so you don't knock out the air you just beat in. The batter will be dense; that's the nature of a pilgrim cake meant to travel.
- 03
Pour the batter into the tin and bake until the center is set and the top is gold, 35 to 40 minutes. A skewer should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the tin, then turn it out. It will be dense and lemon-scented; slice it thin later, because this is not a fluffy sponge.
- 04
Lay a Cross of Saint James stencil on the cake and dust generously with icing sugar. Lift the stencil carefully so the cross stays sharp. Without that cross it is an almond cake; with it, it is Santiago. Serve at room temperature, in thin slices, with a sweet Galician wine or a glass of Moscatel.
