Online Cooking Class: Bake the Santiago Cake - Holy Year 2021-2022

Learn to Bake the Typical Santiago Cake

Learn how to bake the Tarta de Santiago (Santiago Cake) with Sean & Angie since this year (and next year extended because of Covid) is the Holy Year Xacobeo 2021-2022. The Holy year only occurs when the day of Saint James, 25th of July falls on a Sunday. In May 2010, the European Union gave the Tarta de Santiago PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status inside Europe. To qualify, the cake should be made in the Autonomous Region of Galicia with 33% almonds, barring the base. We will make it at home with 100% Almond meal!

A Cake Full of History

This typical Galician dessert from Santiago de Compostela, Tarta de Santiago (Santiago Cake / St. James Almond Cake) it's a delicious cake that has been baked over the years, its exact date is unknown but there are records in Spain dating as far back as 1577! Before It was called the "Torta Real" or "Bizcocho de Almendra". There are stories that say that it was made as a gift for the pilgrims that walked the Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James) and arrived in Santiago de Compostela. This cake with medieval origins, consists of ground almonds, eggs, and sugar, with additional flavouring like lemon zest, sweet wine or brandy.  A dessert considered a luxury back in the day, it is said that the Santiago Cake was used for therapeutical purposes and only the aristocracy could consume it.  One of the oldest recipes of the Galician cuisine and a delicacy that you must try as soon as you get to Santiago de Compostela.

Get to know more about the Santiago Cake (St James Almond Cake), which is very simple to make, normally gluten-free, and is so good! The best way to have this cake is to pair it with the Orujo de Galicia Liqueur (also known as Aguardiente - Fire Water!). You will learn as well about the Camino de Santiago and the tradition of how the Pilgrims enter the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela through the Holy Door, and the Botafumeiro (Huge Incense Burner) that is swung by the priest during mass.

Want us to send you the main ingredients in a box from Spain for the Santiago Cake?

For those of you who live in Europe and the United Kingdom, we have put together an ingredients box that we can send to you! Even if you don't cook along with us during the only live online cooking demo you can order the box to make it afterward by yourself. But, we do love it when people cook along with us during our live-streaming cooking demo, as well don't forget to share photos of your cake on our Facebook page! We will answer all your questions during the event via our Facebook chat, and of course, if we missed your question you can always get in touch with us.

Inside the Santiago Cake ingredients box, you will find all the main ingredients you need with the exception of the eggs, white sugar and lemon zest. These are items you to find quite easily locally, the main ingredient is included, the Spanish Marcon Almond Flour, a Spanish Gourmet Almond! The Santiago Cake recipe is Gluten-Free.

  

We are proud supporters of the Slow Food Movement.

Ingredients for the Santiago Cake 

• 200gr. Almond meal (We will be using Marcon Almond that has been pre-ground into almond meal. Any type of Almond meal will be good. You can look for a BIO even as we are using Bioterra)
• 200gr. Sugar (White sugar)
• Lemon zest (1 lemon use the zest, we are using Galician Lemons of course which is abundant here!)
• 4 eggs (We are using Pazo de Vilane Galician-manor free-range eggs)
• Icing Sugar
• Optional: Cinnamon (We like the flavour with lemon only as it almond flavour comes out more, if you like a bit of cinnamon you can add)
• Optional: Orujo de Galicia (You can add 1 shot of Galicia Liqueur “licor de hierbas” or another liqueur, we are going to taste apart from the cake, and we like the cake with only the lemon to taste the almond meal)
• NOTE: Want us to send you the main ingredients for the Santiago Cake? If you live in Europe or the UK look at OPTION 2 in our pricing to order our ingredients box.

Step by Step Preparation of the Santiago Cake

1. In a bowl put in the almond meal, sugar and lemon zest, then add each eggs one by one mixing them well, but not beating we do not want air to get into the mixture, just to mix everything together.
2. Put a bit of butter at the bottom of the cake pan (or none if non-stick pan).
3. Pour the cake mixture in the pan and even out the mixture.
4. Bake at 180 C for about 35 minutes approx.
5. Take out of the baking pan and wait about 10-15 mins. to cool, then you can decorate by sprinkling the icing sugar over the Tarta de Santiago Cross Template on top of the cake. Here you can get the Santiago Cross Template.

Kitchen Utensils and Equipment for the Santiago Cake

• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk or Spatula
• Fine grater (for the lemon zest)
• Small bowls if you want each ingredient separate at the start
• Round Cake pan (22-23cm in diametres)
• St. James Stencil (https://eatandwalkabout.com/ew-cross-template-tarta-de-Santiago.pdf)
• Oven