Tarta de Santiago

Appearance & taste

Tarta de Santiago is round; its top is covered with icing sugar and is therefore white. The cross of the Order of Santiago stands out in it as a distinguishing mark. When cut, it is golden yellow, and its texture is fluffy and grainy. It smells of egg yolk and almonds and has a typical almond taste.

It comes unfilled or filled, that is with a base, in various sizes in each case. Each cake is individually packed and bears a numbered control label with the logo and the words “Indicación Geográfica Protegida ‘Tarta de Santiago’”.

Production

At least 33 % of the cake mixture consists of almonds of the highest quality grade, whose fat content in the unpeeled state is over 50 %. According to the specification, this requirement is usually met by the common Mediterranean varieties such as Comuna, Marcona, Mollar, Largueta and Planeta. To this are added at least 33 % refined sugar and at least 25 % eggs, as well as grated lemon zest, icing sugar and, to taste, dessert wine, brandy or pomace brandy.

In filled cakes the base makes up at most 25 % of the total weight. It is either a puff pastry made from wheat flour, butter, water and salt or a shortcrust pastry made from wheat flour, butter, sugar, whole eggs, milk and salt.

Production and decoration take place in Galicia. Packing takes place in the registered businesses, because the fragile cake with its layer of icing sugar can hardly be handled and transported without packaging, and to protect it from contamination.

Origin & history

There are hardly any almond trees in Galicia, but almond products have been eaten there since time immemorial, first by the wealthier classes, later by everyone. Almonds thus became a typical ingredient of Galician desserts.

According to the specification, the almond cake is first mentioned in 1577: during an inspection of the University of Santiago, Don Pedro de Portocarrero examined what was served to the professors when academic degrees were conferred. The first reliable recipes are found in the “Cuaderno de confitería”, compiled by Luís Bartolomé de Leybar around 1838, and in a book by Eduardo Merín. The cake does not appear in recipe books from the rest of Spain until the 20th century.

In 1924 the founder of the “Casa Mora” confectionery in Santiago de Compostela began to decorate the almond cakes with the cross of the Order of Santiago; the idea quickly spread throughout Galicia. Traditional confectioners still bake the cake to recipes from the late 19th century or earlier.