FOOD NETWORK TAKES THE CAKE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH NEW COMPETITION SERIES "CAKE WARS: CHRISTMAS"

Series Premiere Monday, November 9th at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network

New York - September 21, 2015 - Seven teams consisting of a cake artist, sugar sculptor and master food carver go head-to-head this holiday season in the ultimate sugar-packed competition trying to outdo each other with their outrageous holiday cake displays on Food Network's Cake Wars: Christmas, premiering on Monday, November 9th at 9:00pm ET/PT. Over the course of the six exhilarating one-hour episodes, hosted by Jonathan Bennett, the teams will battle it out in two rounds of challenges to design over-the-top cake confections. First, in the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, it is a race against the clock to create an edible Christmas-themed cake. One team will earn a vital advantage in Santa's Mega Challenge, where the teams must create an eye-popping, larger-than-life masterful cake display. Holiday crafter extraordinaire Charles Phoenix and renowned pastry chef Sherry Yard, as well as special guest judges will decide who will jingle all the way home with the $50,000 grand prize.

"Viewers loved the sugar rush of Cake Wars, so we wanted to make a bigger, more spectacular edition celebrating the most wonderful time of the year. These talented teams of food artists ring in the holidays in the most extraordinary way - crafting cake, sugar and edibles into sensational holiday-themed creations that will absolutely blow your mind," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Food Network.

Fan can visit FoodNetwork.com/CakeWars for photos of the festive, eye-popping creations from the show and watch behind-the-scenes videos featuring Jonathan Bennett and the judges. They can also join the conversation on Twitter using #CakeWars.

Episodes include:

Premiere Monday, November 9th at 9pm ET/PT "Ultimate Christmas Lights" Seven teams go head-to-head to create mind-blowing Christmas cake creations and the chance to take home the $50,000 grand prize. The competition kicks off with the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, where they must construct a cake based on the Frozen character Olaf. Chris Buck, co-director of the movie, will help decide who gets a special advantage in Santa's Mega Challenge, where the teams must create an eye-popping, delicious, and edible display of ultimate Christmas lights. At the end of the battle, one team will be eliminated.

Premiere Monday, November 16th at 9pm ET/PT "Who's Coming Down the Chimney?" In the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, the six remaining teams must take on the iconic tradition of ugly Christmas sweaters. Then, they'll be challenged to combine their skills to show us who is coming down the chimney when Santa takes a sick day in the gigantic Santa's Mega Challenge. Guest judges Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, Co-CEOs of The Elf on the Shelf(R) help decide which team will be sent home.

Premiere Monday, November 23rd at 9pm ET/PT "Santa's New Ride" Five remaining teams battle it out in the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, as they are challenged to make amazing and imaginative edible toys that Santa's elves come up with when left unsupervised in the workshop. Then, when Santa's sleigh is broken the teams must create magical and mysterious displays of Santa's new ride. Joy Cho, author and founder of the OH JOY! Blog, will help choose which team will be eliminated in this holiday race.

Premiere Monday, November 30th at 9pm ET/PT "Holiday Song" In the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, the four remaining teams will be challenged to take Christmas intergalactic and show us what happens when Santa is in space! Then, in Santa's Mega Challenge, they must bring world-famous Christmas songs like "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle Bells" to life in a huge edible creation. Home Alone actor Devin Ratray will help decide which team will be sent home.

Premiere Monday, December 7th at 9pm ET/PT "Charlie Brown Celebrates" Only three teams remain and they must prove their talents in challenges celebrating the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas. In the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, they will deck out Snoopy's dog house for the holidays. Then, in Santa's Mega Challenge, they will be tasked to create the ultimate Charlie Brown Christmas party. Lindsay Schultz, artist and grand-daughter of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schultz will help decide who takes the cake and moves on to the finale.

Premiere Monday, December 14th at 9pm ET/PT "Ultimate Gingerbread House" The final two teams battle one last time. First, in the Stocking Stuffer Challenge, they must make eye-popping, edible Snow Globes. Then, in Santa's Mega Challenge, they will be challenged to create the ultimate gingerbread house. Golden Globe-nominated actress Monica Potter will guest judge the grand finale. Only one team will jingle all the way home as the winner of $50,000.

Cake Wars: Christmas is produced by Super Delicious Productions.

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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and up to 35 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine's rate base has grown 13 times and is now the third largest monthly magazine on the newsstand, with over 12.4 million readers. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24-hour networks in the United Kingdom, Asia, and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com) and Great American Country (www.gactv.com), is the manager and general partner.