Tarta de Santiago

Step 1

Set the oven to 350°F and wait until the indicator light goes off or you hear a beep, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the sides so the cake does not stick.

Step 3

Pour the 2 cups of almonds into a food processor and blend until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining, about 1 minute.

Step 4

Place the 6 eggs and 1.5 cups sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, fluffy, and roughly tripled in volume, about 4 minutes.

Step 5

Add the 0.5 cup softened butter to the egg mixture in three additions, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition until fully combined.

Step 6

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to remove any unmixed butter or eggs clinging to the bowl walls.

Step 7

Add the lemon zest and ground almonds to the batter and fold gently with a rubber spatula, lifting from the bottom and folding over the top, until no streaks of almond remain, about 40 seconds.

Step 8

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula until it is even and level.

Step 9

Place the cake pan in the preheated 350°F oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 30 minutes.

Step 10

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on the counter for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Step 11

Place a small sieve or tea strainer filled with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over the top of the cooled cake and gently tap the side of the sieve with your finger so the sugar falls in a thin, even layer.

Step 12

Lay two wooden skewers or thin sticks diagonally across the cake to form an X shape, then lift them away carefully to reveal a white cross dusted onto the cake surface.