By Becky Holland
COCHRAN — Some artists paint with watercolors. Others shape clay, carve wood or capture the world through a camera lens.
Aliisha Becker’s artistry begins with flour, sugar, butter and a little imagination.
In her hands, an ordinary cake becomes a woodland adventure, complete with a Jeep navigating rocky terrain. Delicate butterflies rest atop swirls of frosting. Tiny bees gather around golden honeycombs, while cookies become colorful creations almost too pretty to eat.
Almost.
Behind these edible works of art is a 43-year-old wife, mother of three and full-time employee who has spent more than a decade teaching herself the finer points of baking and decorating.
Her business, Little Oven Bakery, may be a sideline for now, but her creations reveal an artistic eye, a patient hand and a genuine love for what she does.
There is something refreshingly unpretentious about Becker. Personable, gentle in spirit and humble about her abilities, she speaks of her baking without fanfare. She simply enjoys creating beautiful things.
Her journey began with lessons learned in her mother’s kitchen.
Becker credits her mother, Debbie, with teaching her about cooking. As a girl, she watched and listened, although she didn’t do much cooking herself until she was living on her own.
In 2013, she began taking baking and decorating more seriously.
Without formal classes or professional instruction, Becker studied photographs of cakes, cupcakes and cookies, looking closely at designs that captured her interest.
If something caught her eye, she wanted to see whether she could make it herself.
And so she practiced.
Through patience, experimentation and trial and error, she developed the skills to transform ordinary ingredients into imaginative creations.
But beauty takes time.
Depending on the design, a single cake can require two or three days to complete. Cookies and cupcakes demand similar care and attention.
And while Becker is creating all that sweetness, something decidedly less sweet is usually happening nearby.
Laughing, she admitted that Law & Order or another crime show is often playing on television while she works.
Apparently, a little mystery pairs rather nicely with buttercream.
For all her elaborate designs, Becker’s personal favorite is almond cake with Chantilly frosting and fresh fruit.
At home, her three daughters, all students in Bleckley County schools, have grown up watching their mother work in the kitchen.
Much as Becker once learned by observing Debbie, her daughters now have the opportunity to watch her. Becker admits she’s particular about her work and prefers to maintain control in the kitchen, although one daughter enjoys making cookies and brownies.
For now, Little Oven Bakery remains a part-time venture. Becker works full time on base, fitting baking into the hours between her career and family responsibilities.
She also has a special goal: saving enough money to send one of her daughters to Ireland for graduation.
It is another reason to keep the oven warm and the creativity flowing.
Becker hopes customers understand why home-baked creations sometimes cost more than their mass-produced counterparts.
Home bakers purchase ingredients in smaller quantities and devote individual attention to each order. The ingredients, preparation and decorating require both money and time.
What customers receive, she emphasizes, is something fresh, made with care and love.
And perhaps that is the real beauty of Little Oven Bakery.
Not simply the delicate butterflies, imaginative designs or carefully decorated cookies, but the quiet satisfaction of creating something special for someone else.
Somewhere in her kitchen, with a crime show playing in the background, Becker is turning another ordinary collection of ingredients into something extraordinary.
One sweet detail at a time.
To see more of Becker’s creations, visit Little Oven Bakery on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/19Zi4kekWs/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Photos by Little Oven Bakery. Click on image to see enlarged image.
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