Tarta de Santiago

Tarta de Santiago is a dense almond cake dusted with icing sugar, traditionally marked with a stencil of the Cross of Saint James. It's Galicia's pilgrimage-route dessert, sold in every bakery along the Camino de Santiago and named for the city the whole route leads to.

What it actually is

Ground almonds, sugar and eggs are beaten together with almost no flour — the classic recipe uses none at all — so the crumb stays dense, moist and distinctly almond-forward rather than light and airy like a sponge. It bakes in a shallow round tin until just set, and once cooled, a paper stencil of the cross is laid over the top before it's dusted heavily with icing sugar, leaving the cross itself bare.

Because there's little or no flour and no leavening beyond the eggs, the cake keeps well for days without drying out, which is exactly why it travels so well with pilgrims.

How it's served

• At room temperature, cut into wedges, never warm.
• With coffee, as a simple afternoon dessert rather than a plated restaurant course.
• With the cross pattern visible on top; a version dusted plain, without the stencil, still tastes the same but loses the visual signature.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag nuts (almonds) clearly and prominently; it's the entire base of the cake, not a topping.
• Note the egg; it's the only other major allergen.
• Say if it's gluten-free, since the classic recipe often is — but only if your version genuinely uses no flour, so verify before the claim.
• Mention it keeps well, which makes it a sound make-ahead dessert rather than one baked fresh to order.