Sweet LionHeart: The Prettiest Little Bakery (& cakes) in Cape Town

My sister’s birthday is at the start of October, and she’s one of those people who’s incredibly difficult to get presents for. Not because she’s picky or doesn’t say what she wants, but because she buys herself everything she wants, when she wants it.

I’ve always opted to make something for her instead — a guaranteed gift she can’t get herself. In the past, I’ve created a book filled with messages from her closest friends and family, and once, an illustration of her and one of her floofs (cats). You get the idea. But this year, between arriving back in the country and travelling between provinces, I ran out of time to get creative.

And that’s when the algorithm just knows what it’s doing. Lo and behold, an ad for the cutest bakery pops up: Sweet LionHeart Cape Town. I’d seen them around before but had never actually met anyone who’d ordered from them. Their spring range included a cake that reminded me of a lamington, and that’s when the idea hit — get my sister a lamington cake. It’s one of her favourite treats, so what better way to celebrate her birthday?

I reached out to them and they informed me that they no longer do custom cakes, but their Jammi Lammi was indeed inspired by a lamington, so they were confident she’d love it. I appreciated that they offered a thoughtful solution even though they couldn’t fulfil my original request, so I went ahead and placed my order. They don’t do personalised cards, but said if I dropped one off, they’d include it in the delivery — so that’s exactly what I did.

My oh my, I did not expect to see such a beautiful little cake. It didn’t just look like its pictures — it looked better. I mean, it was exactly the same, but somehow even more “wow.” Turns out, some things really are better in person, and this was before we even got to taste it.

Sho. It didn’t disappoint, hey. It was soft and succulent, the jam and meringue icing with a touch of desiccated coconut was pure perfection. I was so happy I got to taste it — and even happier that I’d chosen it for her. It was truly a magical experience from start to finish, from ordering and dealing with their lovely team to finally tasting the wonderful flavour combinations they create.