Vanilla Slice (Snot) Blog - Snot Blog

Vanilla Slice (Snot) Blog

Panaderia Sud Americana Bakery - Sunshine North, VIC

8/13/2017

Filling: Sweet vanilla scented custard 7/10
Pastry: Biscuit-like, dulce de leche inclusion, crisp and rich 9.5/10
Presentation: Flatter than the average, neatly assembled 7/10
Value for money: $3.50 - Decent portion, very rich, fresh as a daisy! 8/10
Overall score: 7.9/10

In a suburban backstreet of Sunshine North lurks a small, mainly derelict shopping strip with an unassuming South American bakery propped in the middle. There's plenty of people coming in and out, proving these guys clearly have great word of mouth custom. I purchased an interesting looking vanilla slice, Mrs B a dulce de leche circular puff tart. Clearly dulce de leche is heavily used in South American baking as even my pastry included a thin later of the sweet caramel spread nestled inside the biscuit-like layers. This made the whole thing incredibly rich, but enormously satisfying. The custard was average by comparison, but still rather nice; a decent consistency and sweet, but perhaps lacking in quantity compared to the overall size of the slice. Mrs B found the dulce de leche tart very rich, but did well to finish the whole thing on her own! A great little find off the beaten track.

Sweet Temptations Patisserie - Glen Iris, VIC

8/5/2017

Filling: Lackluster, bland, unsweetened cream 4/10
Pastry: Bullet-hard layers of tasteless pastry 4/10
Presentation: Oozy and enticing 8/10
Value for money: $5.50 - Decent portion, very disappointing 3/10
Overall score: 4.75/10

Had I read the reviews of this chain on Zomato prior to making my purchase, I might have reconsidered doing so. Nevertheless, a vanilla slice came home with me for a hefty $5.50 and I proceeded to eat it. This is not a vanilla slice worthy of being sold in a patisserie, or at least what I would expect a patisserie to sell if they are worth their salt. Clearly in Australia the word patisserie is thrown around and standards vary hugely compared with mainland Europe. The pastry was tasteless, overabundant and actually too hard - causing real trouble cutting and biting through. The cream filling was a real disappointment too; an effortless, bland dollup of bog-standard cream that forgot to include any texture, richness and vanilla content. I ate a little over half and threw the rest away in anger. These guys really are making a poor product and selling it at a ridiculous price.

Tru Blu Aussie Pies - Clayton South, VIC

7/16/2017

Filling: Smooth, typical bakers custard 7/10
Pastry: Golden, flaky and beautifully thin 8.5/10
Presentation: Neatly cut square, proportionally perfect 8.5/10
Value for money: $3.50 - Decent portion, cheap but slightly forgettable 6/10
Overall score: 7.5/10

Snacking all the way round the Essendon North Farmers Market was topped off by the chance of a freshly baked vanilla slice. A slab of neatly cut slices was pulled out of the van and looked awesome. My own piece was obviously fresh. The pastry was dark, golden and firm to pick up. My first bite crunched, crackled and spewed the custard out immediately. The quantity and overall feel of the custard was excellent, however there was an obvious lack of vanilla and egg to the mixture - a bit plain overall. The strong gusty wind did no favours for the icing dusted on top.

Domani Pasticceria - Hoppers Crossing, VIC

7/15/2017

Filling: Sweetened whipped cream and lumpy strawberry jam 7.5/10
Pastry: Golden, crumbly yet firm to pick up 9/10
Presentation: Long, rustic and authentically Italian 8.5/10
Value for money: $4.75 - Large portion, tasty, overly sweet and rich 8/10
Overall score: 8.25/10

When driving down the Princes Freeway to Geelong, I like nothing better than an excuse for a small diversion for coffee and cake. I stopped at the lesser known Domani Pasticceria in Hoppers Crossing based upon a recommendation from a blog reader a while ago. The place is well hidden from the street and looked closed initially. However, once inside the lovely lady behind the counter soon provided us with sustenance. The vanilla slice is a cross between a mille-feuille and a cream slice - with big dollops of lumpy strawberry jam scattered amongst the sweetened (but sadly lacking vanilla) cream. The pastry was excellent; very flaky, firm to pick up and yet easy to bite through. With sugar in the cream, sugar dusted on top and sugar in the jam the whole slice was slightly too sweet for my liking, Well worth the small detour into unknown territory for something familiar yet very different.

Schwabs Galley - Williamstown, VIC

7/13/2017

Filling: Vanilla flavoured fluffy, creamy custard 7.5/10
Pastry: Golden but lacking flakiness 6/10
Presentation: Tall, but narrow slice, neatly dusted 7/10
Value for money: $6 - Smallish size, tasty, but not indulgent 6/10
Overall score: 6.6/10

My visiting guest (and recent vanilla slice enthusiast) Flaky J and I fancied a cycle, so we left Essendon and followed the Maribryrong river all the way to Williamstown. We dismounted the bikes and took shelter from the drizzle at Schwabs Galley. The customary vanilla slice was ordered, halved and set upon like rabid dogs. The portion, though tall and proud was slightly small and expensive for the $6 price tag. The actual quality was also lacking, with the pastry rather dry and missing some vital crunch. The creamy vanilla cream had some nice bounce, with subtle vanilla inclusion, but lacking some richness from an egg or two. If homemade - nice try, but I suspect these guys are bought in, subdivided and sold for a premium.

Candied Bakery - Spotswood, VIC

7/13/2017

Filling: Light, airy vanilla speckled cream 7.5/10
Pastry: Truly divine. Dark, biscuity, perfect 10/10
Presentation: Innovative yet nostalgic 9/10
Value for money: $4.50 - Fresh, quirky and fun to eat - just not right 7.5/10
Overall score: 8.5/10

En route home from our Williamstown cycle, Flaky J and I stopped in Spotswood to have a punt on the infamous vanilla slice doughnut that has eluded my clutches for the last two years. With my good luck companion in tow we actually triumphed - buying the second to last doughnut remaining late in the day. The vanilla slice doughnut is actually a well designed hybrid with some excellent features, but unfortunately the heart and soul of the doughnut (the vanilla custard) just did not hit the spot. With a lighter than air vanilla cream filling sparingly pumped inside there just wasn't enough filling in comparison to the overall size of the shell. The real hero here was the stunning disk of indulgent, biscuity, flaky pastry. If only these guys made actual vanilla slices using the vanilla custard they pump inside their vanilla custard doughnuts and the stunning pastry from this.

Romano's Coffee - South Melbourne, VIC

7/12/2017

Filling: Vanilla flavoured fluffy, creamy custard 7.5/10
Pastry: Golden and thin, but not ultra crisp and flaky 6/10
Presentation: Healthy sized portion, proportionally sound 8/10
Value for money: $4.80 - Good size, tasty, but not 'just baked' 7/10
Overall score: 7.1/10

With few places left to sample in the South Melbourne area I opted for Romano's coffee whilst walking through the parade. What initially struck me was the overall look of quality custard and pastry, plus the generous sized portion. With my first bite the pastry revealed itself to be ever so slightly stale - well lacking real crunch anyway. With a good colour and bake to it the overall freshness was a let down. The custard, however, proved to be a a decent component. It's viscosity just right; it oozed out the sides with each bite and had definite vanilla content in the mixture. A light dusting of icing sugar gave the portion just enough sweetness to want more. Not a bad slice if on the neighbourhood.

Gumnut Patisserie - Bowral, NSW

7/7/2017

Filling: Indulgent and rich eggy custard, lacking vanilla 7.5/10
Pastry: Heavenly, golden caramelized flaky layers 10/10
Presentation: Beautifully presented, excellent proportions 9.5/10
Value for money: $5.50 (estimate) - Good size, fresh, lovingly made 8.5/10
Overall score: 8.8/10

The only vanilla slice stop for the return leg of my Sydney to Melbourne road trip took me to Bowral - about 90 minutes drive from Sydney. With vast medals in multiple categories from years at the Sydney Royal show I had to sample their 'famous' vanilla slice.

With a French mille-feuille appearance I was straight away seduced by the time and effort put into its glamorous aesthetics. Neatly cut in half, Flaky J and I took half each and devoured in less than a minute. Noticeably the best pastry from the trip and faultless as far as I'm concerned. Dark, buttery, crisp, flaky and a perfect thickness for three even layers. To my disappointment the rich custard offered little to no vanilla content and although a perfect viscosity and richness this really let down the overall experience. The icing was another star of the show; thin, crisp and sticky when heated on the finger tip. Not a bad effort guys, but please add more vanilla.

Drummoyne Bakehouse - Drummoyne, NSW

7/6/2017

Filling: Oozy vanilla cream custard 8.5/10
Pastry: Biscuit-like fresh layers of golden pastry 8.5/10
Presentation: Triple stacked and passion fruit iced 8.5/10
Value for money: $5.50 (estimate) - Good size, fresh and delicious 9/10
Overall score: 8.6/10

My first suburban Sydney slice took me to picturesque Drummoyne. Their bakery had some wonderful looking cakes and I took a passion fruit iced slice and a chocolate custard eclair back to home base for Mrs B to chomp. Prior to the car journey back the vanilla slice was not damaged and looked slightly better than the picture, though after cutting into bits for sharing it really made no difference. Flaky J agreed that this was indeed the best slice of the trip so far and was far better assembled than anything else we experienced on the road.

The three layers of fresh, golden flaky pastry cut beautifully and were rich and biscuity. The whipped creamy custard oozed with each bite and offered a purposeful hit of vanilla each time. It would have been slightly more pleasurable to see the specks of fresh vanilla running through the custard to further improve the experience. Finally the subtle and not overly-sweet passion fruit icing was delicate and offered a lovely fresh after taste to the piece. My only regret is that I did not buy two to share! Mrs B also confirmed that this was by far the best chocolate eclair she had ever eaten, with a stunning chocolate custard filling that was more like a ganache. Great bakery, well worth the trip.

Mawson's Bakery - Euroa, VIC

7/3/2017

Filling: Nicely textured but tasteless custard 5/10
Pastry: Thin, crisp sheets 7.5/10
Presentation: Regimented and attractive, great portion sizes 8/10
Value for money: $3.50 - Attractive, enticing, but not indulgent 6/10
Overall score: 6.6/10

With these guys always featuring in the winners list for the Annual Vanilla Slice Competition I felt obligated to drive through Euroa en route to Sydney. A neat little establishment offering two types of vanilla slice (traditional and continental) I ordered one of each and shared them with my travel buddy Flaky J. Although easy to cut, plate up and consume due to the fresh sheets of crisp pastry we were left questioning where the overall richness and vanilla flavour was. Both varieties, although soundly constructed were a bit tastless and generic. The continental slice offered an extra layer of very airy and unsweetened whipped cream and a slightly murky chocolate icing. Altogether, disappointing for stop 1 of the road trip. Good luck at the competition!

Henri's Bakery - Wodonga, VIC

7/3/2017

Filling: Smooth, whipped (but vanillaless) custard 6/10
Pastry: Thin, crisp, golden sheets 8.5/10
Presentation: Dodgy pink icing, but impressively built 8.5/10
Value for money: $4 - Great size, fresh, but nasty synthetic raspberry icing 6.5/10
Overall score: 7.4/10

Stop two of my road trip to Sydney allowed me to tick off a bucket list item. I have always wanted to see the World's largest rolling pin! As sizable and surprisingly dysfunctional as it turned out to be, their neon-topped vanilla slice was purchased and split in half for tasting shortly after with Flaky J. The item in question was better than Euroa's two hours before, but only slightly. The custard had a nice consistency, but again lacked notable flavour. The pastry was a darker and tastier colour and had a really good crunch to it when bitten. As predicted the icing was far too sweet and in my opinion ruined the slice. The artificial raspberry flavour wasn't nice whatsoever and I actually left the icing behind in favour of a naked topped half. I love the proportions of the custard and the rolling pin overall.

Trappers Bakery - Goulburn, NSW

7/3/2017

Filling: Whipped cream vanilla custard 8/10
Pastry: Light, slightly soft tri-layered 5.5/10
Presentation: Long and tall construction, decoratively iced 7.5/10
Value for money: $4.75 - Good size, fresh, but pastry lacking 6/10
Overall score: 6.75/10

Stop three of the Melbourne to Sydney road trip offered another World's biggest - this time the World's biggest concrete ram! Flaky J can be pictured next to the beast for scale purposes in case you're wondering. Famous Trappers Bakery offers the whole package; open log fire, baked goods and an adjoining motel in case you over indulge. The vanilla slice on offer was completely different to the previous two of the day, with a creamy vanilla custard sandwiched between three long, thin sheets of pastry. Sadly the quality of the pastry didn't match the tasty and rich creamy custard. A real hit of vanilla was present in the filling and a slight chocolate undertone was detected in each bite from the decorative iced topping. Not only was the pastry underbaked and slightly flaccid, it was practically impossible to cut was the flimsy plastic knife on offer.

Franks Classique Bakery - Mornington, VIC

6/30/2017

Filling: Firm, slightly tasteless custard 5/10
Pastry: Thin, crisp sheets, good bite 7/10
Presentation: Neatly iced and cut, good proportions 7.5/10
Value for money: $4.75 - Good size, fresh, but uneventful 6/10
Overall score: 6.3/10

With no new leads to follow down the Peninsula, I settled for a French patisserie style vanilla slice in the heart of Mornington. Sadly, unlike some of the big guns I've tasted down this way, this specimen was quite forgettable. The initial diagnosis was positive; neatly built, good colour and well priced. Unfortunately the main substance of the slice - the custard, was just very bland and too firm for my liking. The pastry was crisp and light and crunched beautifully. The icing too was pretty good; thin, sticky and a good aftertaste of chocolate. Perhaps with their main business being in European breads, their custard is not their main priority.

Miss Maramalade - Brunswick, VIC

6/26/2017

Filling: Gelatinous, eggy slimey custard 2/10
Pastry: Uncooked, soggy sheets 1/10
Presentation: Flattened, unorthodox, almost frozen desert looking 1/10
Value for money: $4 (estimate) - Extremely poor quality, daylight robbery 0.5/10
Overall score: 1/10

This place comes highly recommended, but sadly this woeful attempt at the humble vanilla slice was highly lacking and would feature in my hall of shame (if there was one). The appearance was dubious from the word go, but I was hoping the flavours would make up for that. Sadly not the case. The gelatinous, eggy 'custard' was minimal and lacking sweetness and creaminess. The 'pastry' holding the whole thing together felt like a poorly thawed out frozen dessert. Soggy in its texture and completely flavourless and far removed from any sort of puff or flaky pasty that would be normal. The most pathetic amount of icing sugar topped the slice, making this the worst one I've had this year.

The Train Yard - Heidelberg, VIC

6/3/2017

Filling: Whipped cream pudding mix 6/10
Pastry: Fluffy, light, puffed layers 8/10
Presentation: Homemade, handsome and rustic 7.5/10
Value for money: $6.50 - Beautifully fresh, extremely rich 7.5 /10
Overall score: 7.25/10

Mrs B, baby B and myself found this place completely fortuitously whilst strolling the high street. We sat down in the lovely back yard deck next to the bar and enjoyed a pot and one of 'Mum's homemade vanilla slices' in the lunchtime sun. I reckon Mum might have made this; with very homemade puffed pastry and an overly sweet pudding mix cream filling. A thin layer of strawberry (I think) jam made the whole thing even sweeter, so much so that I had to leave two mouthfuls of the giant portion. Whilst this thing was fun to pull apart and chomp, it was not how I like my vanilla slices these days. I admire the effort made to put put authentic home baked cakes in such a unique setting.

The Pantry - Brighton, VIC

5/27/2017

Filling: Fresh, creamy, vanilla custard 8/10
Pastry: Dark and crisp, verging on overbaked 8/10
Presentation: Rustic with bruleed top 7/10
Value for money: $5.50 - Beautifully fresh, innovative approach 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.6/10

Boasting three options of vanilla slices in this elegant cake factory I opted for the lesser spotted brulee-topped slice. The burnt brown sugar had a lovely richness to it, but got lost in the overall consumption and was only noticed at the very end. The custard oozed out between the robust and darkly baked layers of fresh, golden pastry. I often criticize under baked , soggy pastry, but this was almost too well baked (if there is such a thing). The custard itself was a wonderful consistency of fresh whipped cream, vanilla and a slight egg thickening agent. All in all a tasty and worthwhile slice at a reasonable price. Perhaps I should have selected the fondant icing version for real comparison.

Breadtop - Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribrynong, VIC

5/24/2017

Filling: Sweet, non-descript pudding mix 3.5/10
Pastry: Buttery, biscuit like slabs 4.5/10
Presentation: Tri-layer, patterned icing and neatly bundled 8/10
Value for money: $4 - Fresh, but far from traditional 5/10
Overall score: 5.25/10

This little number got me over the mid week hump, but unlike its looks it was far from traditional. I was impressed with the attention to detail on the product based upon the huge chain's normal fast and mast mass produced items. The neatly presented mille-feuille slice boasted dark, well defined layers of pastry, a rich, yellow custard and a decorative, glossy icing. Weirdly, the tastes were far from expected. The pastry tasted more like a buttery shortbread biscuit, with a slight crunch, the filling left me confused as to its actual content (other than sugar) and the icing actually didn't taste of anything.

Hangar Cafe - Chadstone Shopping Centre, Malvern East, VIC

5/13/2017

Filling: Old but still tasty enough 6.5/10
Pastry: Stale and only suitable for biting 4.5/10
Presentation: Upon closer inspection - tired looking 6/10
Value for money: $5 (estimate) - Overpriced Costco slice, not fresh 3/10
Overall score: 5/10

Sadly I was duped into the purchase of this slice en route back to the car, and only realised it was a Costco slice upon closer inspection. To make matters worse the price of this thing was was over the top and not even fresh. I actually like the Costco slices, but when they are not fresh the whole thing is just as average as the next vanilla slice. Therefore, see the Costco vanilla slice review, minus a few points and make a comment on an average/slightly better than average latte and a decent little logo. Done!

Lancefield Corner Store - Lancefield, VIC

5/7/2017

Filling: Velvety whipped cream with vanilla hint 6.5/10
Pastry: Light, crisp, risen puff pastry 7/10
Presentation: Neatly squared and stacked high 8/10
Value for money: $4.30, freshly baked (on a Sunday) 6/10
Overall score: 6.9/10

When passing through the country I always try and stop somewhere for a v.s. Having knocked out Lancefield Bakery some time ago, I had heard a rumour that the general food store sometimes sold a decent effort. Low and behold, on a Sunday no less - a freshly baked specimen. Piled high in between two layers of gently risen puff pastry was mounds of lightly vanilla scented whipped cream that was actually rather nice, but just not a custard. The pastry was delicate, crispy and cut well with a knife. At $4.30 I would argue that the ingredients and execution might make this slightly too expensive, but nevertheless tasty enough and freshly baked on a Sunday is very welcoming.

Mr Pilgrim - Chadstone Shopping Centre, Malvern East, VIC

4/29/2017

Filling: Crusty round the edge vanilla cream custard 5/10
Pastry: Three layers, slightly thick, stale 5/10
Presentation: Tri-layer, breeze block proportions 8/10
Value for money: $6.50, not freshly baked 4/10
Overall score: 4.75/10

I had high hopes for lunch here and the cakes looked pretty decent (though no prices were advertised). When my lunch was over and my vanilla slice arrived it was much bigger than it looked in the cake cabinet, and at $6.50 the price was seemingly oversized too. Sadly, upon inspection with my fork the custard was discoloured and crusty around the edges and the pastry just would not cut cleanly - this was yesterday's!

The custard in the centre was OK, with vanilla content and a nice creaminess, though the pastry was pretty flavourless and like thick sheets of soggy cardboard. There really wasn't any point in persevering with the pastry and after taking out the best bits of custard I stopped, feeling pretty unsatisfied overall.

The Bakers Wife - Camberwell, VIC

4/23/2017

Filling: Sweet, sickly, buttery whipped cream custard 7/10
Pastry: Three layers, beautifully golden, buttery and flaky 9/10
Presentation: Tri-layer effort, slight subsidence visible 8/10
Value for money: $6 (estimate), freshly baked (even on a Sunday) 8/10
Overall score: 8/10

My family and I stopped here for lunch and having worked up an appetite from browsing the nearby Sunday market. A queue awaited for seats, which to me is the sign of a good cafe considering its larger than average size. A fantastic pulled chicken burger with a corn slaw and chilli mayo burger lined my stomach, washed down with a delightful flat white. What followed next was possibly a result of my glutinous behaviour.

Can a vanilla slice be too rich? Too buttery? The answer is yes. The tri-layered effort is excellent and considering it was a Sunday I was so pleased to discover the freshly baked goods on offer here. The pastry was dark, crisp and flaky - beautiful. The custard, however, was way too buttery and mega rich. Its viscosity was perfect and its sweetness just about right, but the balance of cream, butter and egg was slightly off target. I will definitely be back for lunch again, but will try another cake next time.

Twisted Sista - Westfield Knox, Wantirna South, VIC

4/9/2017

Filling: Sweet, smooth vanilla custard in abundance 8/10
Pastry: Three layers of thin, golden sheets, slightly soggy 6/10
Presentation: Stunning cake slice with flaked almond edging 10/10
Value for money: $6, huge cake slice sized portion, baked yesterday 8/10
Overall score: 8/10

How can anybody walk past this cafe's cake cabinet and not sit down and pig out? A first for me on this blog - a cake vanilla slice that is served in wedge shaped portions. A great concept and well executed.

I must say that keeping something like this fresh daily would be a challenge, so when I devoured my portion to discover a day old pastry I was not overly disappointed. Even then, the pastry itself was still satisfactory. A dark, golden colour and nice flavour in all three layers was drowned in thick lashings of tasty vanilla custard. Normally the middle layer of such a slice would be unrecognizable by comparison. The flaked almond edging added another nice texture and flavour to the mix and kept the edge fresh. A heavy dusting of icing sugar finished off a beautifully presented slice, it was served with some slightly dubious synthetic raspberry sauce I might add.

If in the area, I would give this one a go, you won't be disappointed.

Sherbrooke Bakery - Monbulk, VIC

4/8/2017

Filling: Tasteless, whipped cream 4/10
Pastry: Old and dry, unable to bite through 2/10
Presentation: Looks better than it tastes, neatly iced 7/10
Value for money: $3, typically sized portion, stale and a throwaway job 2/10
Overall score: 3.75/10

With a few nice looking bakeries in Monbulk I settled on this place - BIG mistake! It's been a while since I have taken two bites out of a vanilla slice and it be so bad that it was a throwaway job. Initially I thought that my choice was well justified with a very presentable offering purchased for a mere $3. Unfortunately, the pastry was so dry and old I just couldn't consume more than two mouthfuls. So old was the slice that the icing cracked and fell off in large chunks. A very bland and tasteless filling of plain whipped cream wasn't enough to persuade me that the nearest bin was the best option for more than half of this thing. Sad times!

Yarra Valley Deli & Cafe - Wandin North, VIC

4/3/2017

Filling: Copious amounts of sweetened vanilla cream 6/10
Pastry: Pale, day old but still functional 4/10
Presentation: Large and heavily dusted 7/10
Value for money: $4.50, largish portion, not made on site 6/10
Overall score: 5.75/10

This place was made aware to me by a student I teach, who proclaimed that this place had "the best vanilla slice". Whilst I was passing by it was an opportunity to see if this was indeed the case. Sadly, the slice did not live up to its reputation, or perhaps my expectations are now so high that this slice would not feature anywhere near my top ten these days? Nevertheless, there was obvious vanilla content in the sweetened whipped cream filling, but cream alone does not satisfy the custard criteria sufficiently. The pastry was lacking a golden baked colour and crispness. The fact that all other cakes are baked on site, but these are brought in led me to believe that this was not freshly baked and the pastry was only functional for eating freestyle. Keep the recommendations coming!

Emerald Village Bakery - Emerald, VIC

4/2/2017

Filling: Huge amounts of sweet but disappointing custard 6/10
Pastry: Fresh, but underbaked and lacking flakiness 6/10
Presentation: Enticing, imposing and sticky, glossy icing 8/10
Value for money: $3.50, large sized portion, freshly baked 8/10
Overall score: 7/10

Firstly, this bakery/cafe is awesome and is obviously the hub of the beautiful town of Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges. I was in town for a week and frequented the bakery for supplies most days, but sampled the infamous vanilla slice on day one of my break.

Whilst the positives are obvious; price, aesthetics and portion size, the overall verdict was that it lacked finesse in the pastry flakiness and overall custard flavour. A warm plate and a vanilla slice was an interesting combo and allowed for some sticky icing finger residue. A great, sweet icing it was too. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of cutting vanilla flavour to the filling. Whilst the quantity of custard came in abundance, the overall richness and flavour was lacking. Similarly, the pastry was fresh, but its overall texture and flakiness was lacking due to the fact that it was still quite pale in colour and would have benefited from longer in the oven.