Your desired desktop layout should be quite easy to replicate in Gnome with Gnome Shell extensions. I use Apps Menu to give a Ladder style menu that you show on your first post, although I don’t use it much as I find the Gnome dock with favourites quite convenient.
There are also various extension that work with or modify the Gnome Dock if you don’t like it & want to modify how it behaves. I think the Dash to Panel one or Bottom Dash panel would probably replicate or be close to what you are used to in Xfce & they are quite customisable. Hope this helps maybe not sure if this is what you are looking for?