Tarta de Santiago

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the tin

   Heat the oven to 170°C conventional or 150°C fan. Grease a 22 cm round cake tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.

2. 2

   Whisk eggs and sugar

   Whisk the eggs and caster sugar by hand for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is lighter and the sugar is mostly dissolved.

3. 3

   Add the flavourings

   Stir in the lemon zest and cinnamon for about 30 seconds, until evenly distributed.

4. 4

   Fold in the almonds

   Add the ground almonds and fold gently for about 1 minute, until no dry patches remain.

5. 5

   Fill the tin

   Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top, spreading the thick batter gently into an even layer.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake at 170°C conventional or 150°C fan for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the centre is set and lightly springy and a skewer has a few moist crumbs; cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.

7. 7

   Cool and dust

   Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Tips

• Line the tin base with baking paper to help the cake release cleanly.
• Fold only until no dry patches of almonds remain.
• Use the centre's doneness cues rather than relying on the baking time alone.
• Dust with icing sugar just before serving so it does not melt into the cake.

Swaps

• Use orange zest instead of lemon zest for a different citrus note.
• Use a pinch of mixed spice instead of ground cinnamon.

Storing

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.