gluten free apple pie cake

 I realize it's silly to bake a cake in July, but I found a lovely package of last year's apple pie filling hiding in the freezer and just had to make this cake. Delicious with whipping cream, it reminds me of coffee cake. 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cups gluten free flour
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup fizzy soda
• 2 1/2 cups apple pie filling (you could use a 540 ml can if you don't have an apple tree, and your neighbours don't have a tree, and there's no farmer's market nearby, but it won't be the same. Add a little more cinnamon to make up for the flavour)
• 2-3 Tbsp course brown sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease 13x9 baking pan and sprinkle a little GF flour to keep the cake from sticking. Set aside.
2. Mix the GF flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon & salt in a small bowl. Set aside. 
3. Cream the butter until light. Beat in the sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Add lemon zest, vanilla & lemon juice and mix. 
4. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the fizzy soda. Mix until makes a nice batter. 
5. Pour the batter into the 9x13 pan. Pour the apple filling over and swirl it in. Sprinkle with sugar and place in the middle rack of a pre-heated oven. 
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes. I test with an instant read thermometer until a couple of tests near the centre are 200-210 F. 
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.