I've been in a deep-fried tasting rut. For the past two years, the Big Tex Choice Awards winner has left me scratching my head. Both the deep fried shrimp boil and the deep fried Cuban roll stopped short of being delicious, and none of them came close to beating the deep fried jambalaya I still contend is one of best bites available at the last three State Fairs.
I'm happy to say this year's Big Tex winner came closer than any other. Meet the Carrot Cake Roly, a 14-ticket flavor explosion that abuses sugar as much as it does hot fat. You'll find it behind a counter that's dusted with so much powdered sugar it looks like a coffee table at an '80s disco. "This place looks like a party," I told the woman as she handed me the Carrot Cake Roly. I think she got the joke.
The $7 equivalent gets you two pieces, a tub of whipped cream dusted with cinnamon and a tub of caramel sauce that will definitely end up on your shirt. Go with it. Inside the roll you'll find moist carrot cake that borders on mushy, but it doesn't matter — if you find the flavor of carrot cake to be appealing, you're going to annihilate this snack.
And then it's going to sit in your stomach like lead. I recommend sharing this one, and make sure you eat your corn dog before you tackle the Carrot Cake Roly or you could find that you've spoiled yourself for other State Fair food items.