Hasta La Gadget!

When planning a road trip in the U.S., it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There’s so  much ground to cover, and you can’t stop at every amazing sight and activity.

But if you had to narrow it down somehow, visiting each state’s capital city and capitol building is a pretty great way to see the country. Since you’ve probably forgotten many capital cities since your elementary school days (Pierre, South Dakota, anyone?), a refresher is in order.

Thanks to Randy Olson, the brains behind the best road trip ever, you can jog your memory with a perfectly optimized road trip of America the beautiful.

The map above shows a 13,310-mile road trip optimized to hit 48 state capitol buildings in the contiguous United States (sorry Alaska and Hawaii) in just 8.5 days.

Olson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, created the map using algorithms and Google Maps, but you don’t have to be a computer genius to plan an optimized road trip. Olson’s Python code is free to use, so you can plan your own customized road trip, and there are also simpler web services like RouteXL to help perfect your adventure.

So whether you want a grand European adventure or a single state road trip, these algorithms have you covered. The open road is waiting.

To read more about Olson’s road trip you can visit his blog here.

We don’t know what you do for a living, but we do know you likely need a break. And, nearly halfway through the year, we’re challenging you (yes — busy, overworked, financially stretched you) to #TakeABreak.

During the month of June, we’ll help you nail down how many vacation days you have at your disposal, figure out where to go, and plan a trip you can actually afford. For 30 days of travel tips, cheap flight hacks, vacation ideas and wanderlust galore, sign up for our Take A Break action plan here!

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And now, a chocolate cake layered with OREOS — as if you needed another method of putting Oreos into your mouth, right?

Josh Besh, the chef behind many of New Orleans’ most acclaimed restaurants, created a cake officially called the Oreo Thins 144 cake, in conjunction with the brand’s recent launch of its new Oreo Thins cookies. It’s Besh’s take on a German Baumkuchen cake, otherwise known as a tree cake (named after the rings that form in the cake upon baking), and it looks amazing, if not totally labor intensive.

Here’s how to make the most insane cake we’ve probably ever published, courtesy of Oreo (and if you’re like, “No thanks! I’d rather have someone make it for me!” you are in luck because it’s available at Besh’s restaurant, Willa Jean in New Orleans, for a limited time).

Baumkuchen:

• 17 ounces egg yolks
• 22 1/2 ounces egg whites
• 13 ounces of butter, room temperature
• 1 pound sugar
• 4 ounces almond paste
• 8 ounces cornstarch
• 5 1/4 ounces cake flour
• 1 1/2 ounces rum
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon

Set oven to 550° Fahrenheit. Place a hotel pan filled with water towards the bottom of the oven to create steam. Spray a half sheet tray with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, then spray the top of the parchment paper.

Sift together the cake flour and cornstarch. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, soften the almond paste with the run, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest. Once soft, add butter and a quarter of the sugar and incorporate well on low speed.

Add the egg yolks, a few at a time, until they are all incorporated. Switch the mixer to high speed and whip mixture to full volume. Once you reach the ribbon stage (when the whisk is lifted, a ribbon falls from it and does not instantly dissolve into the surface of the mixture), transfer the egg yolk mixture to a large mixing bowl using a rubber spatula.

Very quickly, in a clean dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip together the egg whites and remaining sugar to medium peaks (when you turn the whisk upside down, the peaks fold back over on themselves).

Carefully fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, starting with a small introduction of whites to the yolks, then followed by 3 egg white additions, carefully folding so you don’t break down all the volume. Once the egg whites are all incorporated, fold in the sifted flour and cornstarch mixture.

Immediately start the baking process by spreading an even layer of batter onto the prepared half sheet, using 1 to 1.5 cups of the batter per layer (you want as thin of a layer as possible, while still remaining even). Place the sheet tray in the oven for just long enough for the batter to set, turning as needed for very even cooking.

Quickly remove the pan from the oven, carefully brush the cake with the apricot glaze, spread another layer of batter on top.  Repeat this process over and over again, until you reach the end of the batter, or the top of the half sheet.

Allow the final layer of cake to bake completely, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Cake can be stored in the freezer until needed, or in the fridge overnight very well wrapped in plastic wrap.

Apricot Glaze:

• 4 cups apricot gel
• 1 cup glucose syrup
• 2 1/2 cups rum

Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pot and bring to a boil to combine. Keep warm for the duration of baking the cake layers.

Chocolate Oreo Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Oreo cookie crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 each eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Prepare one 10-inch pan by lining with parchment baking powder and spraying with nonstick spray (or butter works as well).

Sift together the all-purpose flour, Oreo cookie crumbs, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together whole milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract until well emulsified. Create a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in a third of the liquid, stirring in between additions until just combined. Repeat until all of the liquid ingredients have been incorporated into the dry ingredients. Carefully stream in boiling water in 2 additions, stirring to incorporate.

Transfer the cake batter into prepared cake pan and bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing cakes from the pan to cool completely.

Once completely cool, level the cake to ¼ inch thickness using a serrated knife. Trim up the edges of the cake by using the cake ring much like a cookie cutter for a perfect fit.

Set aside until assembling the cake.

To Assemble:

Remove the baumkuchen from the fridge. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the half sheet tray. Flip the cake out directly onto a cutting board and remove all of the parchment paper.

Using a long serrated knife, trim off the edges of the cake and discard (or snack on). Carefully slice the cake into thin, even slices no more than ¼ inch thick.

On a clean half sheet tray lined with parchment paper, lay the slices down, side by side with no gaps in between the slices. Continue this process until you have enough together to cover a 10-inch cake ring. Place the cake ring over the cake, then press down to use the cake ring in the same fashion as a cookie cutter, cutting the cake into a perfect circle. Remove excess cake left over from around the outside of the ring.

Continue slicing the cake in thin strips and line the cake ring vertically around the entire circumference of the ring. Use a small serrated knife to trim any cake that overlaps the top of the cake ring, creating an even smooth edge. Carefully brush the entire inside of the cake with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Fill the cavity of the cake with chocolate filling, Chocolate Oreo Thins and chocolate Oreo cake (see below).

Chocolate Chiboust Filling

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2 1/2 ounces warm water
• 1/3 cup egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 2 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 sheets bronze gelatin

Note: have all ingredients and steps ready to execute before beginning the mixing process.

Melt the chocolate in a large bowl over a double boiler and set aside.

Bloom gelatin in ice water until just soft, then pull from water, squeeze off excess liquid and set aside.

Whip heavy cream to soft peaks and set aside in a cool place (fridge preferred).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites until foamy. Stream in granulated sugar and whisk to medium peaks and set aside.

Working very very quickly, whisk bloomed gelatin into warm water, then in stages, whisk into the melted chocolate followed by the yolks and vanilla extract (yes, the chocolate will feel like it wants to seize up on you, but keep whisking, I promise!). Add a small amount of the whipped egg whites and combine, followed by the rest of the whites in two additions, folding gently to incorporate. Fold in whipped cream, again, careful not to lose volume.

Spread some of the chocolate filling into the prepared cake, about a fourth of the way up. Set in fridge for about 10 minutes, or just long enough for the filling to set slightly. Pull from the fridge, place a layer of Chocolate Oreo Thins evenly over the chocolate filling. Add another layer of filling to reach halfway up the cake and allow to set in the fridge. Once set, add another layer of Oreo Chocolate Thins followed by another layer of chocolate filling up to a quarter inch inch of the top of the cake. Place the cake in the freezer until the filling sets completely. Remove from freezer, top with the prepared layer of chocolate cake.

Flip the entire cake over so that the chocolate is on the bottom, and the baumkuchen is right side up. Remove the mold and carefully brush the entire cake in the Apricot glaze.

That’s it! (Gasp).

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