The Decadent Orange & Vanilla Slice

Method

1. This is a dessert built in layers, each one given a little time to settle before the next is added. There is no baking and no great technical performance—only patient chilling, gentle folding and the promise of something rather spectacular at the end.

2. Prepare the Tin Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment, leaving enough paper above the sides to form a generous overhang. This small act of foresight will allow you to lift the finished dessert out in one immaculate piece, ready for clean slicing and suitably dramatic presentation.

3. Create the Buttery Biscuit Base = Blitz the digestive biscuits in a food processor until reduced to fine, sandy crumbs. If you prefer a little more texture, leave behind a few tiny fragments—it gives the base a pleasing crunch.

4. Pour in the melted butter and stir until every crumb glistens and the mixture resembles damp golden sand. Tip it into the prepared tin, spread it evenly and press it down firmly using the base of a glass or the back of a spoon. Take particular care around the edges; a properly compacted base is the quiet architecture holding everything together.

5. Transfer the tin to the freezer for at least 30 minutes. While the biscuit layer chills into something crisp and sturdy, you can turn your attention to the softer, more decadent layers waiting above.

6. Prepare the Orange Jelly Use only the water specified here rather than the quantity printed on the packet. The reduced amount creates a firmer, more dependable layer that will hold its shape once sliced.

7. Place the orange Jell-O in a heatproof jug and pour over 180ml boiling water. Stir patiently until every crystal has dissolved, then add 180ml cold water. Refrigerate for approximately 10 minutes, just until completely cold.

8. Keep a watchful eye on it The jelly must be chilled but still liquid. If allowed to set, it will break into small orange fragments when combined with the cream. Delicious, certainly, but not quite the flawless sunset layer we are aiming for.

9. Make the Velvet Orange Cream Place 225g softened cream cheese in a large bowl with 30g icing sugar, 10ml orange extract and, if using, a few drops of orange gel colouring. Beat until smooth, luminous and entirely free from lumps.

10. With the mixer running slowly, gradually pour in the cold liquid jelly. Continue mixing until the orange cream is beautifully smooth and evenly coloured.

11. Refrigerate for around 1 hour, until chilled and beginning to thicken. Do not abandon it for too long; once the jelly starts to set, the finished layer will lose some of its silken texture.

12. Make the Vanilla Cheesecake Layer In a separate bowl, beat 225g softened cream cheese with 120g icing sugar and 5ml pure vanilla extract until pale, smooth and softly whipped.

13. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in 75g Cool Whip until no streaks remain. Fold rather than beat—the air trapped within the mixture is what gives this layer its cloud-like softness.

14. If Cool Whip is not your preference, an equal quantity of stabilised whipped cream may be used in its place.

15. Build the Layers In a separate bowl, beat 225g softened cream cheese with 120g icing sugar and 5ml pure vanilla extract until pale, smooth and softly whipped.

16. Remove the chilled biscuit base from the freezer. Spoon the vanilla cheesecake mixture over it in small dollops; this makes it easier to spread without disturbing the crumbs beneath. Smooth into an even layer with an offset palette knife, taking the mixture neatly into the corners.

17. Retrieve the thickened orange cream from the refrigerator. Fold in 150g Cool Whip with slow, sweeping movements until the colour is even and the mixture feels light and velvety.

18. Spoon the orange cream over the vanilla cheesecake layer and smooth the surface with a clean palette knife. Work gently so the two layers remain beautifully distinct.

19. The Long Chill Cover the tin and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is even better: the flavours settle, the layers become perfectly defined and the bars slice with considerably more elegance.

20. It also makes this an excellent dessert to prepare the evening before—leaving you with nothing to do but add the final flourish when your guests arrive.

21. How to Cut the Bars Cleanly Use the parchment overhang to lift the entire chilled dessert from the tin and place it on a cutting board.

22. Dip a large, sharp knife into hot water, dry it thoroughly and make the first cut in one confident motion. Clean, reheat and dry the blade between every slice. It may feel ceremonial, but it is the secret to crisp edges and those immaculate layers worthy of the Table Number Seven name.