Tarta de Santiago (Saint James Cake)

Ingredients

Butter

for greasing the pan

Ground almonds

250g

Sugar

200g

Eggs

3

Lemon zest

from 1 lemon

Powdered sugar

for dusting

Cross of Saint James stencil

1 (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a round cake pan with butter.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground almonds and sugar. Mix well.
3. In another large bowl, crack the eggs and beat them until they're frothy. Add the lemon zest to the eggs and mix well.
4. Gradually add the almond and sugar mixture to the egg mixture. Stir well after each addition to ensure a smooth, well-combined batter.
5. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan, making sure to spread it evenly.
6. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, move it to a serving dish.
8. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. If you wish, you can place a Cross of Saint James stencil on the cake before dusting to create the traditional decoration.
9. Remove the stencil carefully and serve.