Spanish Almond Cake : A Low Carb Recipe Suggestion

Tarta de Santiago is also known as the best Spanish almond cake, and is a delicious recipe from the northern region of Spain, Galicia. Santiago cake is known for its famous Saint James cross, baked to commemorate the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in honour of St. James, the patron saint of Spain, but that is just the traditional look of it, the best part comes when you get to try it! Its soft texture and sweet taste make it one of those desserts every single Spaniard loves!

Although Santiago cakes origin is not well known, it is said that during the Middle Ages, almonds were expensive and only a few could purchase them. Therefore, this cake was considered a luxury dessert.

The first reference for something similar to this Spanish almond cake is from 1577, when Pedro do Porto visited Santiago university and tried the “torta real,” which had similar ingredients to what we know now as Tarta de Santiago. The first recipes came from Bartolomé de Leybar in 1838.

The Santiago cross started to be popular in 1924, when it was used in Galicia to decorate the dessert/cake. Since then, it has been getting more and more popular internationally. In fact nowadays this Galician almond cake has become so popular, that it isn't like any other dessert, it is a symbol of the area and the whole country.

The delicately sweet Tarta de Santiago has been a Spanish favourite for centuries, baked to commemorate the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in honour of St. James, the patron saint of Spain and you may be pleased to know that this traditional Galician dessert now has a low carb version. If you want to decorate it with the Cross of Santiago (optional) you can download a template here. 

Ingredients

Serves Eight

2g net carbs per serving
5 eggs
160 ml (140 g) erythritol
½ tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp ground cinnamon
600 ml (280 g) almond flour
4 tbsp powdered erythritol for decorating

Instructions

can be seen here

I hope you may enjoy a slice of this moist almond cake flavoured with lemon zest and a hint of cinnamon soon.

Some readers may also like to try this Italian Lemon Cake, it's low carb and uses a mix of almond flour with coconut flour and olive oil, see more details here

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan