Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl; sprinkle yeast and 2 tsp sugar into it. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm place, for 10 minutes or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles up in volume.

 

Combine 3-1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl. Stir in lemon zest. Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk. Add egg yolks and using a wooden spoon slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture.  When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp at a time. Beat for 2 minutes or until dough can be formed into a medium soft ball.

 

Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread. During the kneading, add up to 1 cup more of flour (1 Tbsp at a time) sprinkled over the dough. When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic. Coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with 1 Tbsp softened butter. Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover bowl with a thick towel and place in a draft free spot for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume.

 

Coat a baking sheet with 1 Tbsp of butter and set aside. Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Using your fist, punch dough down with a heavy blow. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and shake dough into a cylinder. Twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder onto the buttered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Cover dough with towel and set it in draft free spot for 45 minutes until the circle of dough doubles in volume.

 

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Place cake on wire rack to cool.

 

Icing ingredients and directions: 3 cups confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 3 - 6 Tbsp water. Combine sugar, lemon juice and 3 Tbsp water until smooth. If icing is too stiff, add more water until spreadable.

 

Spread icing over top of cake. Immediately sprinkle the colored sugars in individual rows consisting of about 2 rows of green, purple and yellow. Cake is served in 2 to 3" pieces.

 

In New Orleans, a tiny baby plastic doll is placed in the center of the cake. If serving the whole cake to a group or on to-go dessert menus, place the doll in the center of the cake once it is cooled, before icing and decorating.