Let them eat cake…and art! Thanks to Caitlin Freeman, an author neé pastry chef with a unique and fresh talent, we can do just that. Freeman has written a visually rich book of charming dessert recipes from which you can re-create edible versions of your favorite works of modern art. The book release is in April, but thankfully in the meantime, the desserts are also currently featured at the Blue Bottle Coffee Shop café located at the rooftop sculpture garden on top of the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, California (SFMoMA). The Mondrian cake is marvelous, the Diebenkorn is delicious, and with this clever blurring of the lines between food and art, Caitlin Freeman and SFMoMA are also right on trend. This is an example of creativity and taste (pun intended) at it’s very best. Bon Apetit.
left, “Composition in Red, Blue, and Yellow” by Piet Mondrian (1930) x Mondrian Cake (vanilla and red velvet cake with chocolate ganache)
Thiebaud Cake (layers of chocolate cake, coffee ganache, and vanilla buttercream)
Jeff Koons White Hot Chocolate (white chocolate, cardamom, lemon zest, Lillet marshmallows, and gold leaf) and is served in ornate, gilded Turkish coffee cups.
Diebenkorn Trifle (layers of genoise cake, citrus mousse, and lemon curd topped with pomegranate gelée) is served in clear glasses.
Ellsworth Kelly Fudgsicle (Recchiuti chocolate, milk, cream, cocoa, sugar, and salt)
Chocolate Cake by Wayne Thiebaud (1971)
Michael Jackson and Bubbles by Jeff Koons (1988)
Ocean Park #90 by Richard Diebenkorn (1976)
Stele I by Ellsworth Kelly (1973)
Food Images:
Photography Charles Villyard
Courtesy SFMoMA
Modern Art Desserts: Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Confections, and Frozen Treats Based on Iconic Works of Art on Amazon