How to make Australian vanilla custard slice

How to make a classic Aussie custard slice

Cool, creamy vanilla custard sandwiched between layers of crisp puff pastry, and don't forget the sticky icing on top! A treasure of the Australian tuckshop that's tied to many nostalgic childhood memories, this treat is so easy to make at home. Watch the video, get the recipe and a few extra tips and tricks to get on your way to custard slice heaven.

Classic custard slice video

This version of custard slice has the addition of a sweet and tangy passionfruit icing.

Ingredients:

PASTRY LAYERS

2 sheets frozen butter puff pastry, thawed

CUSTARD

1½ cups milk

1½ cups pure cream

60g unsalted butter, chopped

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

⅔ cup caster sugar

⅓ cup cornflour

6 egg yolks

PASSIONFRUIT ICING

1 ½ cups icing sugar

20g unsalted butter, melted

2 ½ tablespoons passionfruit pulp (about 2-3 passionfruit)

Method:

PASTRY LAYERS

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Place each pastry sheet on a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Cover with baking paper and weigh down with another tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on a rack.

CUSTARD

1. Place the milk, cream, butter, vanilla and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat to until sugar dissolves, then bring to just below boiling point. Remove from heat

2. Whisk cornflour and yolks together in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture to combine. Return to saucepan and cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring

3. Line a 22cm square cake pan with 2 long strips of baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang on all sides. Trim pastry sheets to fit snugly in pan. Place 1 sheet in the base. Pour in warm custard mixture. Top with pastry sheet and press down gently. Chill for 4 hours, or until set firm

PASSIONFRUIT ICING

1. To make the passionfruit icing, place icing sugar and butter in a bowl. Stir in passionfruit pulp until smooth

2. Spread icing over chilled slice while still in pan. Chill for 30 minutes or until set. Lift slice from pan. Cut into squares or rectangles

Get the recipe you can save to your myfoodbook cookbook here: Classic Vanilla Slice with Passionfruit Icing

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Vanilla custard slice making tips

How to cut a vanilla slice without squashing it

Make sure your vanilla slice is thoroughly chilled and firm before slicing. A large, sharp knife will suffice if you’re cutting large slices. If you’re cutting smaller slices, the custard is more likely to be squashed out, so use a small serrated knife. Cut with a sawing motion with the knife pointing down, slicing through the pastry without pressing downwards on it.

Even better if you have an electric knife! These will slice through your vanilla slice perfectly.

How do you fix lumpy custard?

If there are only a few lumps, push the custard through a strainer to remove them. If the custard is very lumpy, remove the custard from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Place back on heat to cook.

Why is my custard slice watery?

If your custard becomes watery or split, it may have been overcooked. Unfortunately, this can’t be fixed. To avoid this, only cook the custard for as long as directed and keep the heat moderate.

How long does vanilla slice last?

Custard slice is best eaten the day it’s made as the custard will soften the puff pastry quickly. However, you can keep vanilla slice for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can you freeze homemade vanilla slice?

No, you can’t freeze homemade vanilla slice. The custard will split if frozen and defrosted.

More recipes and tips

Click to get more tips on making custard at home, and check out more custard dessert recipes below.