Modern Arts Desserts Will Have You Cooking Like an Artist

MODERN ART DESSERTS from Clay McLachlan on Vimeo.Ready to take your pastry cheffing to the next level? Caitlin Freeman's new book, Modern Arts Desserts, inspired by modern-art-meets-sweets, will have you baking up cakes that look like Thiebaud paintings in no time. The self-taught baker is the resident pastry chef for...

By Scott Reitz

June 10, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

MODERN ART DESSERTS from Clay McLachlan on Vimeo.

Ready to take your pastry cheffing to the next level? Caitlin Freeman's new book, Modern Arts Desserts, inspired by modern-art-meets-sweets, will have you baking up cakes that look like Thiebaud paintings in no time.

The self-taught baker is the resident pastry chef for Blue Bottle Coffee, located in San Francisco's Modern Museum of Art. She has been using the surrounding masterpieces to inspire the desserts she serves at the coffee shop. And now Freeman's new book shares the secrets behind her work.

Lichtenstein cakes with trademark dots, Matisse parfaits with whimsical chocolate toppers and a stacked gelée Warhol are just a few of the recipes detailed in the book. Equipment definitions and detailed directions promise to get even novice bakers whipping up modern art in their own kitchens.

If you want to try out Freeman's recipes before you commit, the Amazon profile has a sample recipe for Ellsworth Kelly-inspired fudge pops. They look a heck of a lot easier than assembling the Mondrian cake. Good luck with that.

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.