Pretty as a picture: Desserts drawn from modern art

10 : 06 : 2013 San Francisco : Cake : Pastry

San Francisco – A pastry chef has taken food artistry to the next level with a cookbook inspired by modern masterpieces.

Moma modern art desserts Moma modern art desserts
Moma modern art desserts Moma modern art desserts

Modern Art Desserts by Caitlin Freeman of San Francisco’s Blue Bottle Coffee, presents 27 playful desserts inspired by the work of artists such as Henri Matisse, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Frida Kahlo.

Particularly striking are the Mondrian cake that graces the book’s cover, the translucent layered Warhol gelée and the Avedon honey-pistachio bee parfait.

Freeman looked to the collection at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), where Blue Bottle has opened a café, for ideas. And SFMOMA’s curator of painting and sculpture Janet Bishop has provided notes for each recipe.

For more on the future of eating, look out for our forthcoming Food Futures report.

Discover More Daily Signals
The Trend: The Great Beauty Blur

Daily Signals

The Trend: The Great Beauty Blur

2025 marks a critical inflection point for beauty. The sector, once defined by diversity and creativity, has grown increasingly monotonous, as glob...
Beauty : Wellness : Identity
The Big Idea: Neo-community Market

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Neo-community Market

Brands are redefining engagement by transforming followers into communities where belonging is the ultimate currency.
Beauty : Engagement : Community
The Campaign: The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

Daily Signals

The Campaign: The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

In a provocative campaign in October 2025, skincare brand The Ordinary called out the beauty industry’s reliance on pseudo-scientific language.
Beauty : Skincare : Cosmetics
The Viewpoint: Reframing Ageing

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Reframing Ageing

Jacynth Bassett, founder and CEO of Ageism Is Never In Style, is reshaping the conversation around ageing, positioning it as a privilege rather tha...
Beauty : Marketing : Ageing
The Space: Koyia perfumery asks customers to pay with time rather than money

Daily Signals

The Space: Koyia perfumery asks customers to pay with time rather than money

In September 2025, Swedish fragrance brand Koyia introduced a forest-based retail concept where the only currency is time.
Beauty : Retail : Fragrance
The Trend:  The New Age of Discovery

Daily Signals

The Trend:  The New Age of Discovery

Where can consumers still find newness amid algorithm fatigue, ad blockers and saturated content platforms? Part of the answer lies in gatekeeping ...
Technology : Discovery : Retail
The Big Idea: The Future of  Dating Apps

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: The Future of Dating Apps

Hinge is the ‘designed to be deleted’ dating app now turning to real-life connections to tackle Gen Z loneliness. The Future Laboratory spoke to pr...
Technology : Dating Apps : Hinge
The Campaign: Why Apple leaned into artisanal charm for 2025 festive push

Daily Signals

The Campaign: Why Apple leaned into artisanal charm for 2025 festive push

Apple’s 2025 Christmas campaign A Critter Carol puts human craftsmanship front and centre.
Technology : Advertising & Branding : Apple
The Viewpoint: Cyberchondria and Its Cure

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Cyberchondria and Its Cure

The democratisation of medical knowledge – and the spread of fake news – has opened the doors to a new kind of cyberchondria. Jay Topham, co-founde...
Technology : Cyberchondria : Health
The Space: Koibird’s London store mixes digital and physical

Daily Signals

The Space: Koibird’s London store mixes digital and physical

A new wave of designers is bridging the virtual chaos of gaming realms and extended reality with the tactile authenticity of human craft.  
Technology : Retail : Design
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN