A South African blog dedicated to all things sweet has made the finals of the hotly contested Saveur Blog Awards. The Sweet Rebellion blog, created by food scientist Astrid Field, was called “one of the most innovative, impressive and well-executed we came across” by the judges. It competes against five other contenders in the Best Baking & Sweets category after making the cut from over 23 000 nominations.

A post shared by The Sweet Rebellion | ?? (@thesweetrebellion) on Jun 22, 2018 at 2:18am PDT

The blog is an ode to all things sweet, featuring everything from classic desserts to mind-blowing mashups – all with an emphasis on guilt-free indulgence. Beloved SA choccie Peppermint Crisp makes multiple appearances in the form of ice-cream sandwiches, truffles and rocky road. You might also spot flickers of childhood happiness in the likes of mini Milo trifles, Horlicks fudge, and a s’mores layer cake.

A post shared by The Sweet Rebellion | (@thesweetrebellion) on Jul 5, 2018 at 3:04am PDT

So where does an expert on all things sweet go to order great baked goods or desserts? Says Astrid, “This is a tough one, as I can’t remember the last time I bought a dessert – I almost always make my own when entertaining guests!” She did, however, give us the following hot tips:

Freshly baked pastries
Olympia Café in Kalk Bay and Jason Bakery on Bree Street.

A post shared by Jason Bakery (@jasonbakerycpt) on Aug 28, 2018 at 12:00am PDT

Cakes

Charly’s Bakery or Indulge Cakes in Rivonia, Joburg.

Pancakes

Swan Café, for sweet or savoury.

A post shared by Swan Café (@swancafect) on Aug 6, 2018 at 4:35am PDT

Waffles

I Love Waffles in Simonstown. “Try the Banoffee waffle!”

Doughnuts

“I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Krispy Kreme in Cape Town – the original glazed doughnut is still the best there is.”

Ice-cream sandwiches

Crumbs & Cream.

A post shared by Crumbs&Cream (@crumbs_and_cream) on Aug 10, 2018 at 9:47am PDT

High tea

“I’ve been lucky enough to try a few high teas. To date by far the best I’ve had was at The Saxon in Johannesburg. I was determined to try every item, and each one was perfection.”

Restaurants for special occasions

“Buitenverwachting is a beautiful venue for a special occasion. I went for my birthday and was treated to three dessert courses. A few months ago I had the most divine dark chocolate fondant at 95 at Parks, and I have had a delectable dessert at Four and Twenty Café: a mini Paris-Brest filled with an Earl Grey crème pâtissière – simply heavenly.

A post shared by Four & Twenty Cafe And Pantry (@fourandtwentycafe) on Jul 26, 2018 at 2:24am PDT

Astrid’s motto in life is that food made with love should be eaten without guilt. We can get behind that!

Click here to vote for The Sweet Rebellion before 12 September.