Tarta de Santiago, Camino

If there’s one thing I wasn’t going to miss along the Camino — besides the blisters and the breathtaking views — it’s the Tarta de Santiago, or St. James’ Cake. This deliciously moist and spongy cake comes from Galicia in northwestern Spain and is said to carry Moorish influences, which introduced almonds and sugar into Iberian cuisine. By the early 1300s, almond desserts were already making their way into Spanish cookbooks, like the Llibre de Sent Soví (Book of Sent Soví), but they weren’t yet linked to St. James. That came later.

Made from just a few simple ingredients — ground almonds, sugar, and eggs — the first mention of an almond cake in Santiago dates to 1577. However, it didn’t really make headlines or become a symbol of the Camino until 1924, when a pastry chef named José Mora Soto added the iconic Cross of Saint James on top, dusting it with icing sugar, thereby transforming it into the signature cake we know today.

These days, the Tarta de Santiago isn’t just a sweet treat. It has a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the European Union. That means only cakes made in Galicia using the traditional recipe can carry the official name. 

Looking for a place to rest, I came across a little café, and there, sitting in a display cabinet, was the almond cake with the sugar cross, beckoning me. After hours on the trail, finding this little piece of heaven was like the best thing I’d ever laid eyes on. I ordered a coffee and a slice, sank into a chair, and took my first bite.

Soft, sweet, a little nutty — it was perfect. Pure bliss for my taste buds. Such a simple cake, yet it's also incredibly comforting. It made me realise that cakes don’t need to be complicated to be tasty. With each forkful, I felt myself regaining strength, not just physically, but mentally too. It’s funny how the smallest things can lift our spirits out here.

I sat in the café for a while, watching other tired walkers drift in, some limping, some laughing, most with the same wide-eyed expression I must’ve had when I spotted the cake. The Camino wears you down, no doubt about it, but it’s moments like these that can patch you back together.

Note: There are many variations of the cake, each with subtle differences in ingredients. This link was tried and tested by a fellow Conqueror, which can provide you with a starting point: https://www.thevintagemixer.com/tarta-de-santiago-recipe-a-spanish-almond-cake-from-spain