Castlemaine Wesley Hill Bakehouse

This slice is from a bakery in Castlemaine.  WOW, what a lovely slice.  Creamy but not too overpowering that you can't taste the custard.  Scrumptious, flaky pastry was a nice, different take on the pastry. 

Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do the slice any justice.  Blame the photographer.

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5
• Custard - 8.5 (see above) 
• Pastry - 8.5
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 8.5

Eaglehawk Bakery

Eaglehawk's Vanilla Slice was very enjoyable indeed with an old-fashioned appearance.  These country bakeries certainly know their cakes.

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5
• Custard - 8 (lovely texture with a slight creamy touch)
• Pastry - 8.5 
• Appearance - 8 
• Overall rating - 8.5

Gillies Pie Shop Bendigo

Gillies Pies in Bendigo is a notorious pie and pastrie shop, using local products.  The pies are well known to all, but what about their cakes - more importantly, their Vanilla Slices?   Well I must say I was pleasantly surprised; I didn't really think their Vanilla Slice may be up to standard, because their expertise is in pies. 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (not too sticky nor dry)
• Custard - 8 (fresh with a smooth texture)
• Pastry - 8.5 (this pastry was very palatable)
• Appearance - 9 (another double-decker Slice) 
• Overall rating - 8.5

Trentham Bakery

This looks like yet another a vanilla slice I remember from my childhood.  It was nice, but not as spectacular as I would expect from a country bakery.  Anyhow...this slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 7 (a standard glace icing)
• Custard - 7 (dubious about it being fresh but rather more like, a day old)
• Pastry - 7.5 (pastry was nicely baked)
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 7.5

Hudaks Bakery Mildura

This time it is a Vanilla Slice from the border, Mildura. Again, this looks like a vanilla slice from bygone years however with a softer custard centre.

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (a standard glace icing)
• Custard - 8.5(fresh with a light texture)
• Pastry - 8 (light flaky pastry )
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 8

Benalla Hide's Bakery

This Vanilla Slice is a double decker slice with pastry, a layer of custard, another layer of pastry, another layer of custard, and yet another layer of pastry for the top with icing sugar.  It is extremely high and thus, a little difficult to eat elegantly -one needs to place it on its side.

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (icing sugar)
• Custard - 7 (a scrumptious light texture which is not too creamy)
• Pastry - 8 (lovely flaky pastry)
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating 8 .5

Myrtleford Heiner's Bakery

This looks like the most perfect Vanilla Slice.  High, soft and creamy in texture and oh so fresh.  But what is it rated?

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (icing sugar which I have recently discovered is a bit messy to eat)
• Custard - 7 (a light texture however it was probably just a little too creamy with the custard flavour difficult to distinguish; there is nothing wrong with this but as a personal preference a Vanilla Slice is reknown for the custard inbetween and I like this flavour to be more noticeable)
• Pastry - 8.5 (lovely flaky pastry)
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating 8