Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs. yeast
3 3/4 cups cake flour
1 cup melted butter
5 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Dried bean (fava is best) or plastic baby
Directions:
1. Mix the milk, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Allow the yeast to to work until bubbles have formed at the top.
2. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Mix until combined and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area and allow dough to rise until double in size.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Punch down dough and divide into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a long snake, each piece equal in size. Pinch the 3 pieces together at one end. Braid the pieces together. Shape the braid into a circle or wreath and pinch ends together. Allow to rest for 30 minutes on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Hide a bean or plastic baby in the cake.
5. While cake is cooling, make glaze.
Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
Purple, green, and yellow colored sugars/sprinkles
1. Whisk the sugar, condensed milk, and lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 Tbs. at a time until desired consistency is reached.
2. Sprinkle colored sugars over glaze in a striping pattern.
