Classic Vanilla Slice

Classic Vanilla Slice is one of those desserts that makes you really appreciate how simple desserts can be absolute stunners! This dessert is all about two things. A thick layer of vanilla bean speckled custard sandwiched between two buttery puff pastry layers. Dusted with powdered sugar and ready for you to dig into. Classic never tasted so good!

Nick’s favourite thing…

Where do I even start? I mean just look at how incredibly creamy that perfectly set custard filling looks! Those vanilla bean specs in the custard? Divine! The best ever vanilla dessert and one of my personal favourites!

Sorry about the out-of-sharpness of this photo! Still getting used to my new camera! haha

What does Classic Vanilla Slice taste like?

Let me break it down. And there are only 2 big main elements in this dessert.

Pastry – it’s flaky, butter and crispy. And it stays crispy! I used the Pampas brand butter puff pastry. Nothing beats it. Those crispy layers of pastry on top and bottom contrast to the silky smooth custard!

Vanilla Custard – the custard is silky smooth. My absolute favourite thing about it is the egg that sets it. There’s a lot of egg yolks in this recipe. If you’re looking for ideas on ways to use the egg whites, why not try my macarons? Or this pavlova recipe!

What are the ingredients I need?

Butter puff pastry – I used the pampas brand one from Coles and Safeway and I used the butter puff pastry. I found it had a much nicer texture. It went more evenly golden and tasted nicer. But you can use regular puff pastry sheets. I wouldn’t recommend using the low fat ones.

Caster Sugar – Sometimes also known as superfine sugar.

Corn starch – This will help thicken up and set the custard in the recipe.

Egg yolks – This will also help thicken up the custard, but it will help add flavour as well.

Whole milk – I used regular whole milk for this recipe. You can use skim if you like.

Vanilla bean paste – Make sure you use really good quality vanilla in this recipe. This recipe is all about the vanilla! I used a very small amount, but because it’s good quality, a little goes a long way. In it place you can use regular vanilla extract or even real vanilla beans which will also give you that nice, speckled vanilla bean look which is what I love about this recipe visually.

Unsalted butter – Make sure you’re using chilled butter. Chilled butter will allow the butter to melt into the custard more slowly while it’s hot and prevent it from melting too quickly which can result in it splitting or just becoming a pool of melted butter that creates a mess.

Powdered sugar – also known as icing sugar.

What can I do with my leftover egg whites?

Can I suggest making a delicious meringue? Or maybe a pavlova? I have a delicious one here that you can try!

Let’s go through each step.

Pastry

1. Add the frozen puff pastry on two baking trays lined with baking paper.
2. Allow to thaw before using a fork to prick holes on top.

3. Place another sheet of baking paper on top and another baking tray on top of that. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Once baked allow to cool down completely.
4. Gently place an 8-inch baking tin on top of one of the baked sheets. Use a serrated knife to gently score and cut down the pastry to the size of the bottom of the baking tray. Do the same with the other pastry sheet and the top of the baking tray. Sometimes baking trays can be a different size on the bottom and top.

How To Get Deep Golden, Crispy Pastry

What we’re aiming for here is a deep golden, crispy pastry. It’s going to give your slice structural integrity so you can hold it without falling apart. Every oven and pastry brand varies, and a heavier/thicker baking tray can slow things down, so judge doneness by looking at it. Bake it for 40 minutes, then check it. Keep baking for an aditional 10 minutes until you reach the right deep golden look. Butter puff pastry is best for this recipe if you can find it. It’s flakier, richer in buttery flavor, and gives the best crispy, flaky texture. Regular puff pastry works too.

Vanilla Custard

1. Add the sugar and corn starch to a large heat proof bowl. Use a whisk to combine.
2. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine.

3. Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk and whisk to combine. Then add the remaining milk and vanilla bean paste and whisk.
4. Pour the mixture into a large saucepan.

5. Whisk on medium high heat until it thickens. About 5-6 minutes.
6. Once thickened, take off the heat and add the butter.

7. Whisk until the butter is melted and well combined.

Let’s put it together!

1. Line the bottom and sides of the baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the smaller pastry sheet in the bottom.

3. Run the custard through a sieve on top of the pastry.
4. Use a spatula to smoothen out flat.

5. Place the second pastry sheet on top. Place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours or overnight.

How to cut it!

1. Gently lift the vanilla slice out of the baking tin. Place on a chopping board.
2. You want to use a sharp serrated knife. That’s important. Gently score the pastry by running it on top of the vanilla slice.

3. Once you score through the top pastry layer cut the rest of the slice in one motion all the way to the bottom.
4. Carefully wipe the knife clean before making the next cut. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve.

My Top Tips!

• When slicing the vanilla slice, make sure you do it slowly. Gently score the pastry with a serrated knife. Then make the full slice in one go.
• Dust with powdered sugar after the vanilla slices have been cut. I just feel it results in a much nicer looking and neater vanilla slice.

Classic Vanilla Slice

This Classic Vanilla Slice is the perfect balance of creamy, soft vanilla custard layered between buttery, crisp pastry for an irresistible dessert!

Serves 9

4.5 from 176 votes

Author: Nick Makrides

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Chill: 5 hours hrs

Total: 6 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 581kcal

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Ingredients

Pastry

• ▢ 2 sheets butter puff pastry, frozen (see notes)

Vanilla Custard

• ▢ 110 g caster sugar
• ▢ 50 g corn starch, corn flour
• ▢ 8 egg yolks, room temperature
• ▢ 750 g whole milk, warmed
• ▢ 14 g vanilla bean paste
• ▢ 125 g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• ▢ 50 g powdered sugar to dust

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Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGoAVMzb5s&t=73s

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Instructions

Pastry

• Preheat a fan forced oven to 180C / 355F (200C / 390F for no fan). Line two flat baking trays with baking paper.
• To prepare the pastry – Lay your frozen butter puff pastry on top of your baking trays and allow to thaw slightly. Use a fork to prick holes in both sheets of pastry. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and cover with another flat baking tray.
• To bake the pastry – If using a fan forced oven bake for 40 minutes, if using no fan, bake for 50 minutes or until golden and crispy. Just to be safe, and because every oven heats differently, check it’s doneness at the 30 minute mark. Once baked, take out of the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
• Cutting the baked pastry to size – Gently place an 8-inch square baking tin on top of one of the baked sheets. Use a serrated knife to gently score and trim the pastry to fit the base of the baking tin. Do the same with the other pastry sheet and the top of the baking tray. Sometimes baking trays can be a different size on the bottom and top. If you want to be extra, you can use a ruler to measure out and cut to size that way.

Vanilla Custard

• Combine the dry ingredients – Add the sugar and corn starch into a large heat proof bowl and whisk to combine. Then add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the milk – Place the milk into a non-stick large pot and begin heating on low heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as you see bubbles forming around the sides, take it off the heat.
• Combine hot milk and egg mixture – Add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking. You want to slowly heat the egg mixture with the hot milk so that the eggs don’t heat too quickly and curdle. Add a little more milk and whisk. Once about half the milk has been added, you can add all of the milk. Whisk until combined.
• Cook the custard – Add the mixture back into the pot and begin stirring on medium heat. The mixture will begin to thicken after about 3-4 minutes. Once it’s completely thickened, continue stirring until it begins to bubble and steam. When it bubbles, stir for 3 minutes, then take off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste. Stir until combined.
• Adding the butter – While the mixture is hot, add the cold butter in 4 batches, stirring each time. You want to add the butter slowly so that it has time to mix and melt into the custard without splitting it. This is also why we use cold butter. It melts slower.

Putting it together

• Assembly and chilling – Line the bottom and sides of the baking tray with baking paper or double layers of plastic wrap, leaving some overhang and place the smaller pastry sheet in the bottom. Run the custard through a sieve on top of the pastry to remove lumps. Use a spatula to smoothen out flat. Place the second pastry sheet on top and cover with the baking paper or plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 5 hours, or overnight for best results.

How to cut it

• Gently lift the vanilla slice out of the baking tin using the overhang. Place on a chopping board.
• You want to use a sharp serrated knife. That’s important. Gently score the pastry by running it on top of the vanilla slice. You can use a metal ruler to help guide where to cut. Once you score through the top pastry layer cut the rest of the slice in one motion all the way to the bottom. Carefully wipe the knife clean before making the next cut. Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

Butter Puff Pastry – this is like puff pastry, but a little richer and made using real butter. It will give you a much flakier and richer pastry. If you can’t find this, you can use regular puff pastry. You want to make sure your puff pastry is larger in size than your baking tin. If it isn’t just cut some pastry and overlap it on your large pastry sheet, then sprinkle a light amount of flour and roll until flat and even.

Why didn’t my custard set? – The most common reason is because the custard wasn’t cooked long enough. It’s important for it to be

• Cooked on medium heat – do not cook on high heat to speed up the cooking process! This can scramble the eggs and your custard will be gritty and gross. Not silky smooth.
• Wasn’t brough to a boil – Once your custard starts bubbling, set a timer for 2 minutes and keep stirring. This step is important because it helps the custard thicken to the point where it will set properly, allowing it to hold its shape when sliced.

Storage – Vanilla Slice can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days. The pastry will begin to go soggy after this.

Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per slice.

A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. To learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales, click here!

Nutrition

Calories : 581kcal

Carbonhydrates: 41g

Protein: 9g

Fat: 39g

Saturated Fat: 16g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g

Monounsaturated Fat : 17g

Trans Fat : 0.5g

Cholesterol: 213mg

Sodium: 179mg

Potassium : 201mg

Fiber: 1g

Sugar : 12g

Vitamin A: 718IU

Calcium: 137mg

Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclosure

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