Where you can find Australia’s best vanilla slice revealed

While many may claim to have the best vanilla slice around town, a country bakery in regional Victoria has proven their offering of Australia’s favourite dessert treat is a slice above the rest.

North End Baekhouse in Shepparton has shown their vanilla slice is anything but vanilla by clinching the title of Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice at this year’s Baking Association of Australia’s (BAA) Baking Show.

“WOW WOW WOW!!!” the bakery wrote on social media following the win.

“Last night at the Baking Association of Australia Baking Show, we cleaned up the two major awards!

“The little bakery that could! These awards mean so much to us.”

 

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Warm wishes of congratulations poured in from dessert enthusiasts nationwide.

“Without a doubt, you are the best. Congratulations,” one wrote.

“CONGRATULATIONS Guys an Gals for a Great effort.”

“Absolutely fantastic for you guys your whole team how rewarding for all that great effort not to mention such delicious wonderful tasting products. Congratulations.”

“Fabulous Fabulous news !!!!!!! Way to go !!!!!” commented another.

The BAA judges commended the winning slice for its, “Nice mouth feel, custard was light and creamy and more importantly it did not stick to the roof of the judges’ mouths.”

The Shepparton bakery seems to have the winning formula when it comes to vanilla slices, having won first place in the vanilla slice division at the BAA Victorian Baking Show in 2023 and taking out the top gong at the Great Vanilla Slice Triumph 2023, which was held in Merebin, Victoria later in the same year.

If the North End Bakery award-winning creation has fueled your culinary creativity then check out Starts at 60’s recipe for an easy and scrumptious vanilla slice.

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of puff pastry
• 300ml thickened cream
• 2 x 100g packets of instant vanilla pudding mix
• 500ml milk
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tbsp soft butter
• 2 tbsp boiling water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare two pastry trays by greasing them with butter.
3. Place the pastry on the trays and prick them with a fork all over.
4. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Next whip up the cream, stopping when it forms peaks and place it in the fridge.
6. Mix together the vanilla pudding mix and milk in another bowl until combined.
7. Take the whipped cream out of the fridge an fold the mixture into the pudding mixture.
8. Spread the mixture over the top side of one of the pastry sheets and put the other sheet on top.
9. Sift some icing sugar into a bowl and add in the butter and water.
10. Mix the ingredients to form an icing and then spread over the top of the slice.