Siblings Jackson and Alexandra Kulevich, from La Quinta, compete in the Sept. 17 episode of “Disney’s Magic Bake-Off”
LA QUINTA — As new episodes of “Disney’s Magic Bake-Off” debut Friday evenings (8pm ET/PT) on Disney Channel and in the DisneyNOW app, viewers will find siblings Jackson and Alexandra Kulevich, from La Quinta, competing in the Sept. 17 episode.
The show’s first guest “chefs” are Jason Kulevich, an eighth grader at Palm Desert Charter Middle School, and his sister Alexandra, a sixth grader also at Palm Desert Charter Middle School.
Inspired by the epic adventures of “Toy Story,” the kid bakers set out to create cakes that soar and feature an anti-gravity element. Disneyland Resort pastry chef and resident baking judge Gracie Gomez welcomes baking influencer Jocelyn Adam to the magical kitchen to help name the next Disney Baking Champion!
The first seven episodes of the series will be available for streaming on Disney+, on Wednesday, Sept. 29.
Disney Channel and modern media company Tastemade team up to present “Disney’s Magic Bake-Off,” a one-hour unscripted competitive series for Kids 6-14 combining the wonder of baking with the ingenuity of young pastry chefs. Multitalented stars Dara Reneé (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) and Issac Ryan Brown (“Raven’s Home”) co-host the series and, along with Disneyland resort pastry chef Graciela “Gracie” Gomez serving as baking judge, guide kid contestants through a series of fun challenges and surprises as they create the most extraordinary cakes inspired by the magic of Disney.
In Disney Channel’s first-ever baking competition series, imagination rules and teamwork triumphs as three teams of two race against the clock to design a Disney-inspired cake, including classics such as “Star Wars,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” “Descendants,” “Zombies” and more. There is never a dull moment in the kitchen as young pastry chefs from across the country, ages 10-15, work together to show off their artistry and culinary skills utilizing Tastemade’s signature recipe videos and an enchanted pantry filled with a wonderful world of ingredients and surprises. Whether they are a team comprised of siblings or best friends, these young bakers understand the importance of teamwork, trusting one another, turning a kitchen mishap into a baking masterpiece and, most importantly, having fun!
Each episode features two Tastemade challenge videos with easy-to-follow step-by-step techniques and recipes for kids 8-14. Just as these young chefs learn new recipes, tips and tricks from the featured videos, viewers can watch along and be inspired as well. Some of the techniques include how to make stained glass cookies, pastry cream from scratch, wafer paper fireworks and marshmallow Mickeys, to name a few.
Co-Hosts Reneé and Brown, along with Chef Gracie, guide the kid bakers through a series of fun challenges and unexpected twists — as well as lively dance breaks — all designed to elevate the contestants’ baking abilities, techniques and creativity to new culinary heights. Chef Gracie then evaluates the cakes on taste, presentation and creativity. Each episode declares a winning team to be named Disney Baking Champion! The winning recipe will become a featured Tastemade video, available on Disney Channel and Tastemade social media platforms.
Celebrity guests also join in the delicious fun throughout the season, including R2-D2, DJ D-Nice, Mallory James Mahoney (“BUNK’D”), Ava Kolker and Christian J. Simon (“Sydney to the Max”), and “Big City Greens” creators Chris and Shane Houton, along with baking influencers Jocelyn Adams, John Kanell, Maddy McGraw, Mia Starr and Rachel Fong.
Created by Tastemade, “Disney’s Magic Bake-Off” is executive produced by Emily Mraz (“Broken Bread”), Joey Lucas (“Beyond the Block”) and Molly O’Rourke (“Lovely Bites by Chef Lovely”).
Image Sources
- 159252_0140: Disney/Aaron Epstein.
- Jackson and Alexandra Kulevich: Disney/Aaron Epstein.