Orange cake bars - gluten free!

One of my challenges in baking is turning ordinary recipes to gluten free ones.

This cake is amazing and it already has corn starch and almond meal as main ingredients. So I thought, it can't be difficult! We are half way there!

Orange cake bars with rasberry jam
recipe adapted from the side of the corn starch box

6 eggs
170gr confectioner's sugar
280gr butter
110gr concentrated orange juice
110gr freshly squeezed orange juice
225gr corn starch
100gr gluten free flour mix
225gr almond meal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
zest from 2 oranges
200gr raspberry jam

* Preheat the oven to 150oC.
* Beat the eggs and the confectioner's sugar until fluffy.
* Add butter and beat well.
* Pour the juices and mix for 2 min.
* In a separate bowl mix the corn starch, the flour, the almond, the baking powder, vanilla, salt and zest.
* Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until just combined.
* Prepare a baking pan, suitable for sheet cakes. Flour and butter the sides and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
* Pour 2/3 of the batter, smooth it and bake it for 15 min.
* Take the pan out of the oven and layer the jam.
* Then add the rest of the batter on top, smooth it and bake for another 30 - 35 min.
* Remove from the oven, let it cool in the pan and then cut in bars.

The "experiment" was very successful. Nobody realised it was gluten free!

Loved the texture, the flavour of the orange, the tanginess of the raspberries... Definitely a recipe to keep!

Louise.