Gluten Free—And Good Tasting

It was not exactly the plan Bussanich, 42, had in mind when she majored in political science and economics in college. (She was Kyra Riste-Pater back then, before getting married.) But after suffering through crippling abdominal pain for years, Bussanich was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in her 20s. A gluten-free diet cured her of digestive problems so severe that doctors thought they might have to remove parts of her intestines. 

As she was recovering, she came across a commencement address from the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who emphasized the importance of doing something you love. Bussanich had grown up baking with her mother, and when Bussanich’s husband asked her what she’d love to do, she blurted out, “Go to pastry school.” 

She did just that, then made her name on the Food Network television show Cupcake Wars, which she won four times. After sending out mail orders from her home, she opened her bakeries, which now draw visitors from around 

the country; many of her customers aren’t even gluten-free, but just crave the shop’s cupcakes and cinnamon rolls. “We had one girl who came from Florida because all she wanted for her 8th birthday was to visit the bakery,” Bussanich says. 

And that 4-year-old girl who burst into tears on her first visit? She’s a teenager now, and she’s still a regular customer at Kyra’s Bake Shop.