Discover our collection of beautiful vanilla cakes, desserts and slices that showcase the timeless elegance of this beloved flavour. From classic vanilla cakes to innovative sweet treats, these recipes prove that vanilla is anything but ordinary.
Our vanilla cakes and desserts collection features indulgent favourites including vanilla slice, silky panna cotta, rich crème brûlée, and luscious vanilla bean ice-cream. Explore traditional vanilla desserts like custard tarts and baked custards alongside French-style macarons and vanilla flan with roasted cherries.
Browse through our complete collection of vanilla cakes and desserts recipes to find your next baking inspiration.
How to use vanilla beans (video & tips)
Loading the player...
There are a couple of things you can do to get the most bang for your buck, as our Test Kitchen tips show.
- When you’re buying vanilla beans, opt for plump ones as they tend to have more flavour.
- Start by flattening the bean with your fingers then, with a short, sharp knife, cut horizontally along the bean.
- Use the tip of the knife, blunt side down, to remove the seeds, running it from the tip to the end.
- If you’re infusing a liquid (like in milk, for an apple crunch pie with vanilla custard) add the seeds and the bean to the pan.
- After cooking, though, don’t throw the bean away; you can add it to a jar of sugar, where it will continue to infuse for a deliciously fragrant vanilla sugar that you can use in vanilla strawberry swirl macarons.
Vanilla yoghurt and passionfruit cake
Bring out this beautiful layer cake when you want to wow! With thick swirls of creamy yoghurt icing and a drizzle of tropical passionfruit pulp, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Honey and vanilla cake
Delightfully sweet and fragrant.
Cardamom and lemon cake with vanilla labne and lemon syrup
Lemon cake with a fragrant twist
Slow-roasted rosé vanilla quince galette
A delightful winter dessert.
Melt-in-mouth vanilla biscuits
Indulge in a fresh pot of tea or coffee with this irresistible vanilla biscuits. They take just 30 minutes to make and are so soft, sweet and buttery they will simply melt in your mouth.
Apple “cake” with vanilla syrup
This “cake” is both fat free and gluten free. A V-slicer or mandoline will make short work of slicing the apples thinly. Note
Lime and vanilla madeleines
A first-class morning tea treat.
Vanilla cheesecakes with poached rhubarb
The contrast between sweet rhubarb and creamy vanilla cheesecake filling is divine in these impressive desserts.
Vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream
A three layer vanilla bean celebration cake.
Vanilla & red wine poached pears
We used packham pears in this recipe. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the reduced syrup if it is too sweet. Note
Chocolate and vanilla napoleon
The mille-feuille, or vanilla slice, or custard slice, is known as the Napoleon. It is a French pastry whose exact origin, despite its noble name, is unknown. It’s also quite delicious.
Mini pavlovas with vanilla syrup strawberries
You could experiment with a variety of different berry toppings here. Whatever you choose, you just can’t beat a pav topped with whipped cream and berries and drenched in syrup.
Mocha vanilla twists
Mocha vanilla twists are a cute and fun biscuit to both make and eat!
Vanilla slice
Dotted with tell-tale passionfruit seeds, this classic slice is a true Aussie icon.
Custard tart
Sink your teeth in to this classic tart.
Vanilla flan with roasted cherries
Roasted cherries take this flan-tastic dessert to the next level!
Air fryer basic vanilla butter cookies
This handy appliance can even bake cookies!
Vanilla bean crumpets
Our simple crumpets recipe will have you falling love with making these classic breakfast treats at home.
Panna cotta lamingtons
They’re super moist with a raspberry surprise inside, then dipped in a decadent chocolate ganache.
Vanilla shortbread
So much to love about shortbread.
Chunky fig and vanilla jam
Not your typical fig jam.
Vanilla custard pie
A totally irresistible custard dessert.
Vanilla bean custard
The creamy essential to top off your desserts.
How to make crème brûlée
Crack through the burnt toffee to the creamy custard underneath! Silky smooth and sweet custard beneath a beautiful burnt topping. Translated literally, “crème brûlée” simply means “burned cream”. And while that might be technically what’s happening, we can’t help but think this humble dessert benefited greatly from having a name with a little French flair. […]
Apple crunch pie with vanilla bean custard
For when you simply can’t choose between the two.
Summer stone fruit parcels with vanilla-spice glaze
You know it’s summer in Australia when sweet and juicy stone fruit is in season.
Vanilla bean ice-cream
I scream, you scream… we all scream for ice-cream.
Vanilla bean thins
Crisp and delicate, these melt-in-the-mouth vanilla bean thins make an elegant treat to serve with strong coffee for afternoon tea.
White chocolate and vanilla macarons
White Chocolate and Vanilla Macarons: Makes about 18 White Chocolate Ganache: Makes about 2/3 cup It’s important that macarons farm a crust an the base. If your oven is not fan forced, cook one tray at a time an the bottom shelf. You can make a disposable piping bag from a large plastic snap tack […]
Easy vanilla cupcakes
Who doesn’t love cupcakes?
Basic vanilla buttercake
The simple things are often the best.
Vanilla cake with vanilla bean icing
It’s simply delicious.
Vanilla madeleines with lemon glaze icing
A first-class morning tea treat.
Rhubarb and vanilla baked custard
Sweet, creamy with a vibrant tang from rhubarb.
Impossible pie
We love a quick-mix recipe. This one obligingly sorts itself out in the oven into three layers, hence its name.
Baked custard
This creamy dessert classic never fails to impress.
Galaktoboureko (Greek custard pie)
You’ll just love this baked custard dessert.
Vanilla cheesecake slice
This creamy vanilla and passionfruit layers in this dessert take unbaked to a new level. Of course the crispy base is baked to give it that delectable crunch! Looking for a classic vanilla slice or more slice recipes?
Easy vanilla cupcakes
It’s not a celebration without cake.
Crème anglaise
Some would argue that this is THE dessert sauce.
Vanilla and hazelnut strawberry galette
The perfect sweet treat for your next brunch or morning tea!
Cherry, cinnamon and vanilla jam
Spread over fresh ricotta on thick toasted sourdough or use as a filling for little cream cheese tarts.
Cheat’s vanilla slice
We know nothing quite beats the real thing, but when the bakery is closed and you have a craving that just won’t quit, this cheat’s vanilla slice is a worthy recipe.
Vanilla panna cotta with berry compote
Italian for ‘cooked cream’, panna cotta is a soft, sweet set-cream dessert that wobbles like a delicious jelly. Served here with mixed-berry compote for a burst of tart flavour.
Chunky quince, rosè and vanilla preserve
This fragrant and sweet quince preserve is perfect served with a sharp cheese and crackers or warm scones or toast.
Raspberry and vanilla yoghurt ice-blocks
Make your own ice-blocks at home with these delicious raspberry and vanilla yoghurt popsicles. They’re fun to make with the kids and perfect for a hot summer day.
Raspberry and vanilla cupcakes
Sinfully sweet raspberry and vanilla cupcakes. These baked beauties are moist, decadent, and make a perfect mid-morning or afternoon treat!
Vanilla cinnamon shortbread
Perfect as a festive season gift or special treat, these buttery shortbread rise to new heights with the pairing of vanilla and cinnamon.
Apricot and vanilla jam
Create your own apricot and vanilla jam for your family and friends.
Vanilla yo-yos with raspberry butter cream
A classic afternoon tea biscuit with added raspberries for a modern touch.
Raspberry and vanilla crumble slice
This gorgeous dessert is a flavour and texture sensation that will delight your friends and family. A sweet, gooey raspberry topping sits beautifully atop a fluffy, vanilla slice. Add a crumbly, almond topping for extra crunch.
Vanilla strawberry swirl macarons
If you thought the ice-cream wafer sandwich couldn’t be improved, think again. These vanilla strawberry swirl macarons will have your guests swooning with delight. The ice-cream will barely have enough time to melt before they’re all gone.
Vanilla butter cake
A good basic, light cake that is perfect as a base for kids’ birthday cakes. It is also nice plain or with cream and berries.
Vanilla patty cakes with glacé icing
You can make glacé icing without butter (or oil) but, a tiny amount of butter will add gloss to the icing and make it easy to cut neatly without butter, glacé icing tends to shatter when you cut it. Note
Vanilla spice cheesecake
This subtly spiced cheesecake is very festive in its flavours. Perfect to cosy up with in the cooler months.
Vanilla and raspberry crème brûlée tarts
Bite-sized tarts with a vanilla and raspberry crème brûlée filling and a crispy toffee topping make an elegant dessert or afternoon tea.
Vanilla bean scones
This recipe celebrates the classic scone by keeping the ingredients and flavours simple.
Blueberry cake with vanilla syrup
Don’t thaw the frozen blueberries before using as they will bleed colour into the cake batter. Note
Vanilla rice pudding
This classic dish is comforting, dependable and delicious. No wonder it is so popular in so many cultures around the world.
Steamed vanilla custard cups
Wrap the steamer lid in a clean tea towel to avoid condensation drops falling onto the custards. Cook custards in two batches if they don’t all fit in your steamer. Note
Rhubarb and vanilla crumble cake
You will need about two bunches of rhubarb for this recipe. To spread the second layer of cake batter over the crumble, without mixing the two, dollop the batter into each corner first, then gently spread the batter toward the centre. Note
Peach & vanilla yoghurt fools
Peach & vanilla yoghurt fools
Mastering basic vanilla cakes
A basic vanilla buttercake is one of the most useful recipes to add to your baking repetoire. Why? Because it is the cake which is used for many children’s birthday cakes and decorated cakes. The cakes in our beloved The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book use this style of cake. Although packet cake is used in the book, making your own cake can be a satisfying endevour.
Transform a basic vanilla butter cake into our iconic duck cake, train cake or swimming pool cake. For more inspiration, here are 30+ cakes from the original birthday cake book.
