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When you combine a love of cake decorating with a dash of opportunity, sweet things happen! For David and Jade Burk, what started as buying edible images from a friend’s small business turned into owning it themselves - and they haven’t looked back. Today, they’re the creative duo behind Ace Edible Images and I Bake Cakes, printing edible designs flat out for customers, bakeries, and their own cake creations. With more than a decade in the cake world (and five kids keeping life busy!), their story is one of passion, family, and making every cake that little bit more special.

1. How did your edible image business journey begin?

Our journey began quite a few years ago. My wife Jade, as a cake decorator, used to purchase images from our friend's business, Ace Edible Images.

The opportunity arose for us to buy the small business from our friend, as she was also super busy with university. So that's what we did, and here we are today still printing images flat-out for the general public, multiple bakeries and our own cake decorating business, also, I BAKE CAKES.

2. What has starting your own business meant for you? 

Taking on another small business has helped so much to our sister business with just being able to have something on hand when needed and having that extra decoration to offer customers. 

 3. Starting and running a business can be a wild ride! What challenges have you faced while building your business, and how have you overcome them?

There have been a few challenges along the way, including printer failure a couple of times, meaning a desperate order of a new one.

We had to downsize from an A3 to a smaller A4 printer, which wasn't such a big deal, as we didn't really do many big images of A3 size.

 4. What do you think are the biggest benefits of edible images for cake makers and decorators?

Simplicity of ordering to having something printed relatively quickly for last-minute orders or easy decoration. 

5. Do you offer custom image designs? If so, what is your favourite type of design to create?

Most of our images printed are of a customer's choice; we do get asked to do the odd custom design, but don't really have a favourite as such. 

6. What is the most commonly requested edible image?

Most commonly requested image would have to be whatever is trending at the time. We do a lot of Paw Patrol, Minecraft, Roblox, Wiggles, etc.

They would have to be the biggest by far. 

7. Have you received any wild or wacky image requests that still make you smile? Do tell!

We quite often get sent some wild and wacky images; customers are sometimes very hesitant to send an image through until we reassure them that there isn't much that will shock us. And when we see the image, it really isn't even that bad. Mainly some partial nudies, etc, that they are scared to send.

8. Do you have any tips you can share when either printing or applying edible images?

Just the normal tips that most should know. Do not apply an image to whipped cream, or apply the night before and refrigerate - the image will crinkle and go soggy.

Most of our images are applied to buttercream or fondant cakes and just require a very light brush with water to make them stick.

9. What is your “non-negotiable” regarding edible image printing?

We don't really have any non-negotiables as such. But one big no-no for us is that if you order and fail to collect your product, we do not like to deal with you again.

Thankfully, this doesn't happen much at all. Most of our images, etc., are prepaid, but you get the odd one who wishes to pay upon collection.

10. What business-related achievement are you most proud of, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

We have been in business for well over 10 years now, cake decorating, and for over 7 years doing edible images. That in itself is a massive achievement for us on its own. I'm super proud of myself and my wife Jade for all that we have accomplished with me working a full-time job and having a very full household with 5 children between us, ranging from 8 years of age through to 20 years old.