If you're looking for a show-stopping Easter dessert, this carrot cake should do the trick. It's one of the most-loved recipes from my first cookbook All the Sweet Things, and I'm always getting notes and messages on how much people love to bake it. Here's why: there's moist and aromatic carrot cake, creamy brown butter icing, and a layer of crunch from the maple pumpkin seed brittle. If you love regular cream cheese icing, this recipe will make you downright giddy. It’s smooth and creamy, with the lovely caramel nuttiness that brown butter is known for. The carrot cake is rather wonderful in its simplicity—no pineapple, raisins or nuts to be found here, just straight-up carrots. Feel free to make the cakes a couple of days ahead. They freeze well, too. The middle layer of crunchy brittle may feel like an extra step, but it’s one you want to take. As my friend Lindsay said while testing this cake, the brittle makes it.
