Pastry: Golden brown and devilishly flaky 9.5/10
Presentation: Expertly proportioned, stacked and iced 10/10
Value for money: $6.50 - Large portion, fresh and hugely filling 10/10
Overall score: 9.75/10
Horner’ s vanilla slice is a monster in size, flavour and value for money. Presentation alone gave me an excellent feeling this would be top drawer. Visible vanilla bean speckles in the custard, dark and defined sheets of pastry and a beautifully executed chocolate and vanilla fondant icing on top of a very generous amount of creamy custard - twice! The custard was not only super creamy but had a beautiful richness to it with vanilla flavour running through. Firm enough to not fall apart when picked up and not too sweet as to highlight the quality of the icing. The pastry was also excellently constructed; firm, dark brown, buttery and as flakey as you could hope, even the (quite often soggy) middle layer. The icing was not only decorative but an essential part of the overall success of this slice. Not just there for presentation, but a delicately fine layer of sweetness and chocolatey after taste to help balance the savoury pastry sheets.
$6.50 is not a cheap price for a vanilla slice by any stretch, but I’ve bought many slices for more and received much less in terms of quality, quantity and satisfaction. Horner’s vanilla slice is a must have and I will be a repeat customer when on the Coast, that you can guarantee..