Disney, Tastemade conjure Magic Bake-Off

Disney Channel in the US has teamed up with food-themed online brand Tastemade for a kids’ baking competition show titled Disney’s Magic Bake-Off.

Dara Reneé

The 13-episode series will see children undergo a series of challenges as they create ambitious cakes inspired by Disney characters and stories.

Dara Reneé (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and Issac Ryan Brown (Raven’s Home) will co-host the show, alongside Disneyland resort pastry chef Graciela Gomez, who will guide the contestants as they bake.

Featuring kids aged 6-14, the show will see three teams of two race against the clock to design a Disney-inspired cake using Tastemade’s recipe videos and a pantry filled with ingredients and surprises.

The winning recipe will become a featured Tastemade video, available on Disney Channel and Tastemade social media platforms. Production is currently underway for a summer premiere.

Created by Tastemade, the series is executive produced by Emily Mraz (Broken Bread), Joey Lucas (Beyond the Block) and Julie Reading (Alien News Desk).

“Tastemade’s unique and innovative approach in the food programming space has made this partnership invaluable as we embark on Disney Channel’s first-ever baking competition series,” said Claire McCabe, VP of alternative programming and development at Disney Branded Television.

The show follows US streamer Disney+ commissioning Foodtastic, a competition series that challenges adult participants to create Disney-inspired works of art made out of food, produced by Endemol Shine North America.

The popularity of baking-themed shows, meanwhile, has been led by UK format The Great British Bake Off, which has been remade around the world and also spawned a spin-off, Junior Bake Off, featuring contestants aged 9-15.

The Great British Bake Off is produced by Love Productions and currently airs on Channel 4, having originally launched on the BBC in the UK in 2010.