Meet the Teams Competing in 'Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking'

Food Network presents an extra-special holiday series: Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking. Nine teams of magical pastry chefs and cake artists will be tasked with creating massive, spellbinding and edible showpieces inspired by moments and themes from Harry Potter. Hosts James and Oliver Phelps (the Weasly twins) will oversee the Wizards of Baking showdown. Each episode will be judged by bakers and competition pros Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef — as well as some very special guests from the Harry Potter movies. Let's meet the Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Season 1 competitors.

Miko Kaw Hok Uy (right) is a cake artist originally from the Philippines who likes to bring his family's heritage into his baking. Chris Teixeira (left) is an executive pastry chef from Chicago who exhibits serious attention to detail. Both Miko and Chris identify as members of the Slytherin house.

Hailing from opposite ends of the baking world, Kayla Giddings (right) is a cake designer from Louisiana known for her colorful, effervescent creations. Yohann Le Bescond (left) is a French-born executive pastry chef who is a master at creating delicate French pastries. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is their favorite movie in the series.

Zoe Burmester (right) is a self-taught cake artist who specializes in making playful sculptures and illusion food. Jordan Pilarski (left) is an executive pastry chef for Ojai Valley Inn in California. Zoe and Jordan are united by their Hogwarts' house, Hufflepuff.

Pastry chef and cake designer, Jamie Louks (right) is a competition veteran (her husband proposed to her during a Food Network challenge) known for her lifelike skulls and anatomical heart cakes. Jessica Lewis (left) is an award-winning pastry chef who takes inspiration from her family. Jamie and Jess share a love of the Weasleys.

A Harry Potter superfan, Lisa Altfest (right) is known for her big, over-the-top cakes. She is a mom of two and identifies as a Hufflepuff. Mitzi Reyes (left) is an executive pastry chef known for her desserts with a scientific twist. She learned to cook from her grandfather and blends traditional Mexican flavors with molecular gastronomy.

Kimberly Adams (left) is a master at creating towering wedding cakes and 3D sculptures. She's been baking for 16 years, but only recently went to culinary school at the age of 51 to step up her cake game. Ashley Cardona (right) learned the art of baking from her great grandmother's cookbook and is a French-trained pastry chef renowned for her gingerbread mansions. The two share a passion for potions class.

Conner Strackman (right) is an 18-year-old pastry chef for a large hotel chain in Austin, Texas. He likes to experiment with all forms of desserts from cakes to chocolates to sugars. Michael Russ II (left) is a professionally trained cake designer with six culinary degrees. He has made cakes for celebrities like Drake, Bruno Mars and Nick Cannon. Together, they share a fascination with the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Cake artist Hemu Basu (right) is a two-time Food Network champion and has 16 competitions under her belt. She is known for her hyper-realistic cakes depicting everything from plants to peanut butter jars. Riccardo Menicucci (left) is an executive pastry chef for the Four Seasons Los Angeles. They share a love for the beautiful, yet destructive Whomping Willow tree.