Modern Art Desserts: Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Confections, and Frozen Treats Based on Iconic Worksof Art [A Baking Book]

by Caitlin Freeman

Taking cues from works by Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, and Matisse, pastry chef Caitlin Freeman, of Miette bakery and Blue Bottle Coffee fame, creates a collection of uniquely delicious dessert recipes (with step-by-step assembly guides) that give readers all they need to make their own edible masterpieces.

From a fudge pop based on an Ellsworth Kelly sculpture to a pristinely segmented cake fashioned after Mondrian’s well-known composition, this collection of uniquely delicious recipes for cookies, parfait, gelées, ice pops, ice cream, cakes, and inventive drinks has everything you need to astound friends, family, and guests with your own edible masterpieces.

Taking cues from modern art’s most revered artists, these twenty-seven showstopping desserts exhibit the charm and sophistication of works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Henri Matisse, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Avedon, Wayne  Thiebaud, and more. Featuring an image of the original artwork alongside a museum curator’s perspective on the original piece and detailed, easy-to-follow directions (with step-by-step assembly guides adapted for home bakers), Modern Art Desserts will inspire a kitchen gallery of stunning treats.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Art, Cooking, Nonfiction, Culinary

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

A self-taught baker, Caitlin Freeman is the resident pastry chef for Blue Bottle Coffee. A former owner of the San Francisco cake and sweets shop Miette, Caitlin made a name for herself creating simple and lovely cakes and cupcakes using local and organic ingredients. Inspired to bake by the confectionary paintings of California painter Wayne Thiebaud, she saw her chance to re-create those very cakes when Blue Bottle opened a café in San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Four years and many art-inspired desserts later, she wrote the book Modern Art Desserts to chronicle the desserts, inspiration, and adventures that happened when combining art and cake.

Reviews

[Mir]

The Mondrian cake on the cover is the coolest. Some of the other desserts look pretty nifty, others plainer. I don't think I would get the artist reference for most of them without having it pointed out. And I must say I think the multiple Thiebaud cakes are cheating, since he was painting images of cakes in the first place.

You can watch Freeman construct a dessert here.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it’s been a couple decades since I’ve bothered to read any but 100% vegan cookbooks (given that there are many hundreds and probably over 1,000 of them) but the cover of this book just called to me.

I figured that almost all desserts are now easily veganized, and I love art. This book is on my San Francisco bookshelf because it’s very San Francisco, particularly as regards our modern art museum, local bakeries/eateries, etc. etc.

Well, as the recipes are presented, much to my surprise they’re not easily made vegan, though it would be very, very easy to make vegan recipes that look exactly like these. Even with those (for me necessary) changes, these take too much work, and many hours/even days. Re the recipes: some require TONS of heavy cream and just egg yolks or just egg whites. Experienced vegan bakers would know what to do, but I wouldn’t.

I enjoyed the book as an art book. There is some good information and photos about the artists, their lives and work.

The highlight of the book for me turned out to be the cake on the cover, and it is fun.

The rest are hit & miss, though all were creative. These desserts mimicking art remind me of the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco annual Bouquet to Arts festival, where floral artists create floral arrangements that mimic/reflect art pieces in the museum(s). As with that exhibit, the desserts I enjoyed most here were those that most closely showed the art, with the possible exception of Thiebaud's cakes, which simply copied them, and so didn't strike me as that creative, but paired up with the art are rather striking. Some good ones of Diebenkorn's work.

There are many fun extras such as San Francisco photos, and instructions for making your own sea salt, etc. etc.

Anyway, as a cookbook, I can’t recommend it. As a book to give bakers/cooks/artists ideas of how to make artistic foods and to use art to make other creative things, it’s an enjoyable resource. As a fun novelty, well, it was fun.

For artists and particularly bakers/cooks, it might give them some ideas, and vegan bakers and cooks, including some who’ve written many of my favorite cookbooks, I’d love to see some of what they might glean from this. I’d love to see (and eat) what they might create from ideas they’d get from this book.

5 stars for the cover and the premise. 3 ½ stars for some of the included information about the original art & artists, 2 ½ stars for the background information about this book, 1 star for the actual recipes, and not just because I’m vegan and wouldn’t eat any of them, though if I wasn’t vegan, honestly, I might give them 2 stars or even 3.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for originality. 2 stars for being a practical cookbook. I didn't read every word, but I can see how the author suspended belief to create cakes that complimented modern works of art. I will never make any of these desserts... but so glad that the public library bought it so I could take a long peek.

[Evanston Public Library]

Considering that artist Wayne Thiebaud's paintings of cakes inspired Caitlin Freeman to embark on a career as a pastry chef, perhaps it's not surprising that she has gone a step further and written a cookbook dedicated to desserts based on famous modern art. Some of the recipes so closely replicate the art that the casual observer can identify the work; others are a bit of a stretch, but creative nonetheless. The cover catches your eye because Freeman managed to replicate one of Piet Mondrian's geometric paintings with straight lines and bold color squares. I enjoyed skimming through the book, but it seems more of an art or craft book than a cookbook.

Shira S., (Reader's Services)

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling photos of delightful desserts

I just loved this book! The pairing of the pieces of modern art, and the reveal of the confection created to honor it, was so magical. I chose it for that reason, but a side bonus was reading about the author's journey to her calling. While I wasn't interested in attempting the recipes, I enjoyed reading some of them as they let me imagine the remarkable flavors these elegant treats offered. I smiled while I turned the pages--what a lovely little diversion!

[pianogal · Rating 1 out of 5]

This cake on the cover is amazing! But much like a Soul Decision record, it is a one hit wonder. The rest of the recipes are cool, but without seeing them with their artwork, you'd never put the two together. It was such a stretch to take one great recipe and make it into a whole book. Buyer Beware...

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO. PRETTY.

I got it for my birthday. <3

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish I had the materials, space, and time to recreate the Thiebaud cakes within. And the Mondrian cake, and the delicious-sounding drinks. Maybe someday.

[Am Y · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a classic case of book clickbait. The cover really enticed me (yes, that is a real cake and it really is a beautiful work of art that involved a lot of planning and effort to make), but unfortunately, that is the best you are going to get. The rest of the desserts featured are nothing like the actual artworks they are supposed to represent at all... well, unless the actual artwork itself was already of a cake (as with Thiebaud's cakes)! Case in point: a cake whose surface was covered with dots was supposed to be representative of Roy Lichtenstein's pop art, a stack of black & white cookies were supposed to be representative of a striped swimsuit, a transparent cup of different coloured layers was supposed to be some abstract artwork with the same colour combination/order, and a slab of white cream was supposed to be an abstract work of... a slab of white paint. Um, anyone could do that too. And a Warhol illustration of a woman was represented by a layered cake with the same colour combination - only the colours weren't even all there, and there was no illustration of a woman anywhere. I have never felt so absolutely cheated by a book. Kudos to the author for the Mondrian cake which really was well done and looked exactly and unmistakably like an actual Mondrian work, but the rest of the desserts were absolute shams and total rubbish.

[Salvatore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm making the Mondrian cake (featured on the cover). You'll see photographic evidence of that probably next weekend. My issue with that recipe was that doubling the cake batter in the Pullman loaf pan as suggested by the author actually was TOO MUCH (it overflowed, spilling to the base of the oven, burning and smoking up my oven). The 1/2 inch by 1 inch by 13 inch slices of the cake when covered with ganache also très fragile to move. I also now have three and a half cakes of various colours in the freezer right now.

There are a couple of other recipes I'd make from this, that actually seem reasonable. The Ruth Laskey lemon soda with bay ice cubes was a definite treat and I'd totally make that again.

In sum, the design of the book and the inventiveness of the desserts are wonderful. The recipes themselves are just taken from (my baking guru) Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible (Rose does write the introduction to the cookbook.). A lot of these 'recipes' are not practical - see the Mondrian cake - but one doesn't get this book for practical reasons. Overall more of a coffeetable book more than anything else.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty neat book, but I don't think I am the target audience for it. I think a pastry chef with an art background or an aficionado of modern art would get a lot out of it. I am neither. Not many people are going to reproduce the desserts in the book, either, so that part of the book is largely unnecessary. I just skimmed the recipe part of the book. I was interested in the artist information and the author's explanation of her process. I don't know how interesting a casual reader will be in this, but I thought it was at least good to look at.

My favorite recreations were "Kudless S'mores" and "Bradford Cheese Plate."

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cool, interesting and absolutely beautiful pieces of food art but not very practical and some of the recipes appear incredibly complicated.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a gorgeous and unique cookbook! Wonderful for not only cooks but art lovers. One of my personal favorites.

[Gina Schaarschmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cover caught my eye-- a Piet Mondrian cake! (My husband thinks it's a Partridge Family bus cake.) A whole book of desserts inspired by iconic art? I'm in.

When I got it home from the library, I flipped quickly through it and was disappointed-- these desserts were far too conceptual for me. I couldn't imagine anyone from my circle of friends being able to recognize any of these pieces of art from the dessert, should I serve one at a gathering. I wondered why someone would publish something that has such a narrow audience.

Then, I looked at the recipes and thought: What a lot of work. This is way over my head.

Then I started reading. I read the whole thing, cover to cover. And now I understand! These desserts are inspired by pieces that have been shown in the San Francisco MOMA, and the desserts have been created and served at the in-house cafe. Oh!! The assumed narrow audience now made sense. I read the recipes in detail. They aren't nearly as inaccessible as I had imagined.

For each dessert, Freeman includes a photo of the inspiration piece with a curator's description, the story of how the idea came to fruition, and the instructions for making a batch. All recipes are scaled and written for the home baker.

To give an example, the Laskey Lemon Soda with Bay [leaf] Ice Cubes. This is a soda based on a piece of art created with hand-dyed and handwoven linen. (Uh huh.) On the left side is a full page photo of the soda, placed on a tray that also houses two vials of scented thread to correspond with the linen in the art and the flavors of the soda. (Oh, and the tray is custom made with wood stained to match the frames around the original weavings.) On the facing page, below the photo of the original art and curator description, Freeman tells the story of how the creation came to be, along with fascinating details and the recipe.

What I thought was completely inaccessible is actually quite doable. While this seemingly labor-intensive recipe concocted from sometimes difficult-to-find ingredients looked intimidating, Freeman includes instructions on how to make the process easier for a home baker. She explains what needs to be made ahead of time and how to use already-prepared items in place of some hand-made elements to save time. She also explains exactly how much time each recipe takes, such as how long pieces need to soak or cool or freeze and how to back up the schedule to make it work.

Although, to be fair, it's still pretty involved and lofty. These are not desserts you will want to whip up for a teen birthday party. These are definitely for special occasions only.

While it's not likely I will have an occasion befitting one of these desserts in the near future, I have an amazing appreciation for how each edible piece of art was conceived of, created and served. The descriptions, stories and instructions are beautifully written, entertaining and informative.

The book is a mini crash course in art appreciation along with some great storytelling. I read the entire book in one sitting, and then went back through it, pulling out compelling tidbits to show or read to my husband.

[emyrose8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t quite what I expected. I envisioned large photos of cakes made to look like famous paintings and also pictures of the art itself. If I would’ve read the title more closely, I would’ve seen that it says desserts instead of just cake (the cake on the cover fed into my assumption) and it says ‘iconic’ works of art instead of famous. The one on the cover is the most recognizable one for people not well versed in the art world, such as myself.

In reality, the book has stories and reminiscing from the author about where she got inspiration for the desserts. There’s quite a variety in the recipes! I would’ve used the word ‘inspired’ by to describe the desserts instead of based on, but that’s just me. Some of them are very loosely based on the art, keeping in theme of the colors or shape.

There are small photos of the original art, but some are blurry and hard to see since they’re in the background of a picture of the dessert. The recipes are text heavy and I probably wouldn’t try to make any of them, but that’s just me.

Worth a look if you love art. For the people looking for a book with lots of pictures of art and cake, try elsewhere.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

She goes to some length to explain how to do these at home, but .... they are clearly aspirational desserts.

[Lisa Arrigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mondrian and Thiebaud cakes were fantastic, but the rest fell short for me. I didn't really get many of the interpretations.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I learned a lot about artists I didn't know before and I loved the fact that the recipes includes also savory snacks and drinks.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read, but most recipes not practical or worth the effort.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Makes a great gift for modern art lovers and artists, but I don't see myself trying the recipes.

[Evin Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, as thoroughly illustrated as detailed. Many of the recipes are difficult to make (not practical for a weeknight menu), but Freemen decorates her pages with appreciated instructions on the how-to, and intricacies on the muse: modern art.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cookbook was very interesting. It's more of an art book to me rather than a cookbook, and it evoked the same type of feel as Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes. I first picked up the book because I saw the Mondrian cake on The Best Thing I Ever Ate. My view of the book may be swayed by the fact that I am not a fan of some of the art at the SFMOMA (I don't understand what a black wall can tell me), but I found the different take interesting all the same.

[Maria]

I've been seeing this book around and was totally captivated by the cover. Finally got to browse it at Blue Bottle the other day. Looked at every single page. Each dessert is inspired by or responding to a piece of modern art. Some are very literal and some are more imaginative but all are beautiful conversations between visual and culinary arts. And inspiring to me in terms of drawing on diverse resources as inspiration for art-making. As far as using it for cooking, I think it is a few levels beyond my interest/expertise in the kitchen. But what a great way to get the creative juices flowing.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous and fabulous ART book. It makes total sense that this author runs the cafe on the top floor of SF's MOMA. These desserts must be off the hizzle there! That said, I am so glad I got this from the library as it is more of a coffee table book then a cook book. The recipes are elaborate and intricate and probably just too hard for a dinner party or even to bring to a gathering- there go to INA GARTEN or one of the other greats. That said, this book is beautiful and a great read.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read (and enjoyed!) the overview of the pieces from SFMOMA selected to be made into desserts, as well as the author's thought process of how to translate art into food by method and intention. However, I had to just skim the actual recipes since this looks like some of the most challenging baking I've ever seen! If you're extremely comfortable, handy, and well-stocked as a baker, this book has some great stuff. If you're like me and rely on boxed mixes a lot, this book is still intruiging.

[Karalea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty, very pretty. Most of the food takes liberties with the art. Based on the cover I assumed it would all be exact. It is often an interpretation of a painting or a jelled mold that reminds one of a Warhol. Kinda want the Bradford Cheese Platter.

The food is all gourmet, by a pastry chef. It is pretty, but not practical for me.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the design and layout of this cookbook. The background of the author's story and the included info about each inspiration piece was great. But while I love to bake I don't see myself making any of these desserts any time soon. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a kitchen more conducive to baking than my own, however!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone passably familiar with modern art, I enjoyed the edible art shown in this book. Despite being a home baker, I am not likely to recreate the author's amazing works, but I did have fun reading the recipes and notes for each project. The pictures are great and the recipes and flavours inspiring, if very complex.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book to look at, desserts based on artwork. As other readers have said, the Mondrian is most accesible. Other desserts need interpretation for me to see the connection. I can't see me actually making any but when this came into my library, I couldn't resist taking it home.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed with this book. The cover was so awesome but the rest of the desserts and cakes were a bit boring and a lot of the art they chose was bland. In my personal opinion - everyone's view on art is different.