Tarta Santiago (Spanish Almond Cake)

One of the guests at Passover last week brought this simple cake to the seder and I fell in love.

You know how much I adore cakes made with just nuts.   I asked for the recipe and she said she got it from Milk Street Magazine (which btw, does not share recipes online without a subscription as you all found out after I posted it on instagram!).

So because I love you, I will post the recipe here, on your favorite food blog.  :)

No subscription needed.

Milk Street calls it a "Spanish Almond Cake", but technically speaking, it's a "torte".  Tortes are made with ground nuts, and this is just that.  

After doing more investigating, this is also known as a "Tarta Santiago" or St. James Cake.

After adding this and that and doing my own thing, all I know is that this is a delicious and super simple cake.   You will love it for Passover or for your gluten free guests, or just for yourself (like I did).

*Some notes:   I did not have almond meal, so I ground up whole almonds in the food processor to make my own meal....and instead of 2.5 cups of meal, I did a cup of ground almonds and 1.5 cups of almond flour.   It worked out just fine.

        Spanish Almond Torte: (adapted from Milk Street Magazine)

• 3 whole eggs, plus 3 egg whites

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (240g) sugar

• 1/4 tsp vanilla

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 1/2 cups (250g) ground almond meal

• 3 Tbsp turbinado sugar (for the topping)

• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, lightly crushed or chopped

• 
  

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9” springform pan and line it with parchment paper.

1. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt, sugar, and extracts, beating well for almost a minute or until a little frothy and well combined.

2. Add the almond meal and whisk again to combine. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Sprinkle almonds and turbinado sugar evenly over the surface of the cake.

4. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and the center of the cake feels firm when pressed lightly.

1. Let cool for 10 minutes then slide a knife around the edges of the pan remove from the collar.

2. Let cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!