Where's the Best Passion Fruit Vanilla Slice in Melbourne

Where's the Best Passion Fruit Vanilla Slice in Melbourne

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Posted 2017-08-15 by Nadine Cresswell-Myattfollow
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This is about a passion for passion fruit vanilla slices but it all started with a recent article in The Age (which you can read here ) on some of Australia's less-than-healthy but nevertheless iconic foods. The article began: 'You'd be forgiven for thinking Australia has been taken over by a bunch of healthy eating food bloggers, with the amount of kale seen on cafe plates all over the country. Which is why we thought we'd balance the scales, and celebrate our best-ever junk foods.'

I wouldn't go so far as to call meat pies and neenih tarts complete junk food (although it might depend on whether these are factory produced or crafted at your local non-chain bakery) but what was interesting were some of the comments down the bottom of the online version of the article where people decried what wasn't on the list such as Wagon Wheels and Tim Tams and the likes.

Australians, as usual, are quite passionate, opinionated and vocal when it comes to their unique foodstuffs. But perhaps the most interesting point was that when it came to the best vanilla slices, the journalist wrote that the 'the slightly tart NSW version, spiked with passion fruit, ticks all boxes.' There ensued something of a frenzy about where these passion fruit beauties could be found.

The discussion was all about Sydney, but I think such seekers should look further south, as I believe the best passion fruit glazed slices do not hail from NSW but rather can be had right here in Victoria. Here is my evidence:

LOCAL SECRET



The first piece of evidence is the Saturday morning queue outside Beatrix Bakes a tiny bakery in North Melbourne. So tiny in fact that on weekends, customers put in their order and then wait in the street outside because the minuscule bakery/cafe just can't contain the huge mob of cake-craving gourmets. All the cakes here are locally famous and include sweet treasures such as quince and brown butter tart, Moroccan Snickers tart, banana cream cake and pear Piedemonte pie. And the list goes on and so does the queue. While cakes may vary, the one thing they make every Saturday are passion fruit iced vanilla slices. I managed to nab one. These are huge pillows of rich custard in between flaky pastry and the fresh passion fruit icing makes your taste buds chorus in unison. I bought another one to take home, but, somehow it never got there. They often sell out of their passion fruit iced vanilla slices by midday. So all I can say is 'plan your day.'

Beatrix Bakes, 688 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne. Tuesday to Saturday 9 am to 4 pm. Phone 040 36 988 36

Check out their Instagram feed for some of their taste-bud tantalising cakes Click here.

PRIZE WINNING VANILLA SLICES



If you have never stopped at Bourkies Bakery in Woodend for a vanilla slice than you have missed out on one of the richest, experiences for gourmet travellers. The bakery here is nationally awarded for their vanilla slices with the gold cups on show to prove it. Their slices are filled with a creamed custard, which makes for a delicious texture. The pastry is clean and crisp and the icing sweet and tantalising.
Bourkies Bakery
Shops 1 & 2, 115 High Street
Woodend, Victoria
Get Directions
@bourkiesbakehouse
Call (03) 5427 2486

THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN VANILLA SLICE TRIUMPH

This event was born back in the 80s when former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett declared that the Mallee Bakery vanilla slice was the best he had ever tasted. Some of the other bakeries got a little defensive and so the competition began. If you are quick you can catch the 2017 competition in the Langtree Mall, Mildura on August 19 from 9am - 4pm when bakers from around the country will converge on Mildura to find out who bakes the ultimate vanilla slice. There is live entertainment, kids activities, cooking demonstrations with Stefano, and a Vanilla Slice Market Hall for you to buy and try. And yes, the zesty passion fruit vanilla slices will be on display. If you are reading this after the fact, then don't despair as the event is held yearly.

If you just can't get to any of these places, but feel your craving for a passion fruit, vanilla slice simply must be sated then make one yourself. Here is a recipe from Gourmet Traveller click here. Although most cooks love the Donna Hay Recipe (click here) for the slices, but then you would have to make the passion fruit icing (see the Gourmet Traveller article) above.

So where oh where are other great passion fruit vanilla slices hiding. Can you tell me? Remember, it has to have passion fruit and not sickly pink icing to deserve a place on this list.



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129855 - 2023-06-13 06:17:47

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