Torta de Nata: Classic Galician Cream Cake with Caramelized Top 2026

Torta de nata is a beloved sweet from the city of Vigo, in Galicia, Spain. It is a round, lightly sweetened bread with an airy crumb that gets filled with a soft, slowly cooked cream. The result is delicate, moist and utterly irresistible.

The secret to this traditional dessert lies in the quality of the cream used to make it. Choose a cream with at least 35% fat, and if you can find one with 38%, even better: the filling will be creamier and juicier.

Serve it on its own as a dessert, or pair it with a glass of fresh milk or a coffee for an unbeatable breakfast or snack. It keeps well for a day or two, though it is at its best the day it is made.

Ingredients for Torta de Nata

For 10 servings

• 500 g bread flour
• 45 g white sugar (for the dough)
• 130 ml whole milk
• 5 g dry baker's yeast (or 15 g fresh yeast)
• 5 g salt
• 1 medium egg
• 45 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 250 ml heavy whipping cream (at least 35% fat)
• 60 g white sugar (for cooking the cream)
• Powdered sugar, to taste, for decorating

How to Make Torta de Nata Step by Step

1. Mix the dough

Start by making the dough. Mix 500 g bread flour with 45 g white sugar, 130 ml whole milk, 5 g dry yeast, 5 g salt and 1 medium egg for about 10 minutes, until you get a smooth, elastic dough. A stand mixer makes this easier, but you can knead by hand just as well.

2. Add the butter

Add 45 g unsalted butter at room temperature and knead for another 10-15 minutes, until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is very smooth and elastic.

3. Let the dough rise

Shape the dough into a ball and let it ferment in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap or a clean cloth. Depending on the room temperature, rising can take between 1 and 2 hours.

4. Cook the cream

While the dough rests, prepare the cooked cream. Put 250 ml heavy cream and 60 g white sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to minimum and let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

5. Shape the torta

Once the dough has doubled in volume, turn it out onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Gently deflate it with your hands while shaping it into a round, about 24-25 cm in diameter.

6. Second rise and holes

Cover the shaped torta and let it double in volume again. Shortly before the rise finishes, preheat the oven to 180 °C with top and bottom heat. Poke holes all over the surface of the dough using the cylindrical end of a kitchen tool or clean, slightly damp fingers.

7. Bake and reopen the holes

Bake the torta for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and reopen the holes, which will have closed slightly during baking, since the cooked cream will go into them to make the inside wonderfully juicy.

8. Fill with the cream

Pour the cooled cooked cream through the holes into the freshly baked torta. A small pitcher with a pouring spout helps you get all the cream inside through the little holes.

9. Brush and cool

Brush the entire surface of the torta with any cream that overflowed, then let it cool completely until the cream is fully absorbed.

10. Dust with powdered sugar

Before serving, dust the torta de nata with powdered sugar to taste over the whole surface.

11. Serve

Now you can serve and enjoy this irresistible Galician dessert.

Tips for the Best Torta de Nata

Choose a rich cream

The secret to this traditional sweet is the quality of the cream used to make it. Choosing an exceptional cream is essential for this Galician dessert. If you can find cream with 38% fat, the filling will be even creamier and juicier.

How to serve it

To enjoy this rich torta, serve it on its own as a dessert, or with a glass of fresh milk or a coffee for an irresistible breakfast.

Plan ahead

Prep takes 15 minutes and baking takes 25 minutes, for 40 minutes total, but remember to allow extra time for the dough to rise twice and for the torta to cool completely before serving.

30 Favorite Recipes I Keep Coming Back to at Home

Maybe you're a lot like me and like having a stash of cozy comfort dishes, tried-and-true international favorites, and desserts that please a crowd.

On nights when I'm after something indulgent and rich, my picks tend to be this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And whenever a fruity, comforting dessert is calling my name, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I reach for.

For mornings that need to be easy and meals on the lighter side, these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe are a regular at my house, along with a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe or these vibrant Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And when my pantry needs a gluten-free basic, this no-fuss Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe is one I'm happy to whip up.

If tapas and Mediterranean cooking are what I'm craving, I'll cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, a crunchy Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, a smooth Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a bright Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This elegant Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe is another one I love to serve when the occasion calls for something a bit more dressed up.

Come lunchtime or a cozy evening meal, these are the dishes I point people toward: a warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, a time-honored Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, a deep-flavored Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and velvety Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When I'm after something more substantial, I'll bake up this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply satisfying French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Some nights I'm in the mood for street food or party fare, and that's when I'll throw together this saucy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, a crispy Salchipapas recipe, a punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crisp Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These simple Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe also make a great little appetizer or snack.

And when guests are coming and drinks are part of the plan, I'll often serve dinner alongside this cool Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a strong Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, this zippy French Remoulade Sauce recipe works beautifully on the side, or I'll finish the table with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes to Cook for the Family

After years of testing and tweaking recipes in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes are built on simplicity, dependable methods, and serious flavor.

The recipes gathered here are the ones I genuinely keep coming back to—whether I'm putting together a fast meal just for me or making something memorable for friends and family.

When dessert is on my mind, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to for those times I want something elegant without much fuss. The caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake, is another sweet favorite. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

On days when I want something light and fresh, I'll usually make the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For comfort cooking with more heft, the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the creamy Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe are ones I recommend often.

I'm also a big fan of passing along dishes from kitchens around the world, such as the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crunchy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I turn to often, since it cuts down on time without sacrificing texture. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be indulgent, cheesy, and deeply comforting without any gluten.

Gluten free Empanada Dough Recipe 🍕 Fluffy Apple Cake Recipe 🍔 Langos Hungarian Fried Bread Recipe 🌭 Gluten Free French Brioche Recipe 🍟 Madeira British Sponge Cake Recipe 🌮 Chocolate Argentinian Cookies Alfajores Recipe 🌯 Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe 🥙 Gluten free Cookies Recipe 🥗 Homemade cream Maruxas Galician Biscuit Recipe 🍝 Japanese Dumplings Gyoza Dough Recipe

American Gluten Free Cookies Recipe 🍜 Gluten Free King Cake Recipe 🍲 Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe 🍛 Extremadura Style Chard Recipe 🍣 Keto Sliced Sandwich Bread Recipe 🍱 Gluten Free Waffles Recipe 🍤 Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe 🍗 Gluten Free Bread Rolls Recipe 🍖 Flourless Gluten Free Bread Buns Recipe 🥓 Protein Ice Cream Recipe 🥞 Chia Pudding Dessert with Seeds Recipe

Fluffy Cloud Bread Pan Nube Recipe 🧇 Quinoa Bread Recipe 🍞 Schiacciata Tuscan Focaccia Flat Bread Recipe 🥐 Shokupan Japanese Milk Bread Recipe 🥨 Potato Sandwich Bread Recipe 🧀 Homemade Breadsticks Recipe 🍳 Stollen German Dried Fruits Cake Recipe 🥚 French Gingerbread Spiced Cake Recipe 🍰 Gluten Free Pancakes Recipe

🥔 Potato-omelet-in-Thermomix 🍓 Smores-Sandwich-Dessert 🍰 Womens-Day-Mimosa-cake ☕ Coffee-Sorbet 🍆 Eggplant-pizza 🍋 Ciambella-Italian-Lemon-Cake 🥖 Zapiekanka-Polish-Snack 🌰 Dukkah-Egyptian-Nuts-Mix 🧆 Best-Hummus 🥑 Best-Avocado

Best Products We’ve Tested and Rated

Our testing team has hands-on reviews of stair climber machine, elliptical trainer, rowing machine, gummies nerve pain, and coffee creamer diabetics. Every option below was compared across price, build quality, and real-world performance, with honest pros and cons. We update these guides regularly as new models arrive, so the recommendations stay current.

Our testing team has hands-on reviews of tanning lotion, castor oil knee pain, tirzepatide compounding pharmacy, chewing gum, and morning tea. Every option below was compared across price, build quality, and real-world performance, with honest pros and cons. We update these guides regularly as new models arrive, so the recommendations stay current.