Today, SFMOMA is hosting a Topping Out event in Jesse Square park, where everyone can witness the highest beam lifted into place on their expanded building.  It’s hard to believe that over a year has passed since the SFMOMA ground breaking ceremony, where we marked the occasion with a site-specific cookie wall.   While we won’t be participating in today’s events, we wanted to share these photos taken on a shoot in July, commemorating a building that today reaches new heights, always deserving of a celebration, and happens to look great as a dessert.

photo by Leah Rosenberg

Originally, we created this layered dessert, inspired by Mario Botta’s iconic striated turret, for a press event introducing Snohetta’s plans for  SFMOMA’s expansion.  Alternating layers of black cocoa cake and whipped cream topped with a chocolate sable were diligently stacked in these perfect glass votives that Caitlin found on a whim.

photo by Clay McLachlan

We were adamant about getting the dessert turret documented with the architectural turret it was inspired by.  So we packed up the camera, a pint of whipping cream, and a whisk and headed downtown where we whipped the cream and assembled the dessert on site.  Which happened to be outside at the fountain area just across the street from the museum we remember and love.  And now whenever I pass it, I think of all the amazing art-inspired desserts we got to make within the building, and how much fun is yet to be had outside of it.  Like whipping cream in situ.

photo by Clay McLachlan