Hello all, I would like to bake a cake using a 18" x 12" x 2" rectangle pan and was wondering if I need to put something in the middle so it can bake in the center? I am not familiar with the term, but it may be called a heating core. I read on here that you can use a can and fill with batter or water in the center and that should work.

Thanks for any and all replies.

No, don't go to all that trouble.
Just grease up a metal flower nail like you use to make flowers and roses on, turn it upside down and set it in the center of your pan. Pour your batter in and cook like normal.

Yes Wilton makes a heating core, grease inside and out put it in the center of your pan fill it half way and bake. You can also use a flower nail grease it put the flat side on the bottom of your pan and fill the pan.

The greased and floured flower nail is the easiest way to go...and it works wonderfully.

Thanks for the quick and helpful replies, and I will do the flower nail method.

I don't do either of those things....just bake as usual. Haven't had any problems.. Wonder why????? ????? ??????

I was just reading on rb-designs forum I believe and someone was using strips of folded aluminum foil in the middle of their larger cakes! The picture looked like the foil was in the shape of an upside down letter "T". I guess make a strip of foil (probably about 4 or 5 inches long folded over and over to get it thick enough) and then cut a split in vertically in the end folding one side one way and the other in the opposite direction...Did that make any sense at all? I guess another way to think of it is it will look like it's doing a split - one leg pointing one way and the other leg pointing the other way...again, did that make any sense!!!