I'm going to be baking either a sheet cake or a 12" square cake. This is my first over 10" and I know Wilton suggests using their heat core. Do I really need it?

I will say no, because I've never ever used one. And definitely not in a cake as small as a 12" square. I don't even use the flower nails. Not even in my 16" square or my 14x22 sheet. I *DO* use baking strips on all cakes, regardless of size, and reduce the baking temp.

I prefer to use multiple inverted flower nails instead, especially for the 3" deep pans.

Everything you need to know to make, decorate and assemble tiered/stacked/layer cakes:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605188-.html

HTH

I always put the flower nails in cakes bigger than 10" and they seem to work just fine, and they leave just a tiny undetectable hole. Just be sure to put shortening on it, too. Learned that one the hard way...forgot once and well the cake was now a donut

I use the baking core and love it. I've used the nails before and didn't care too much for the method. I've never had problems with my cakes baking evenly when using the core.

I always use core in my larger cakes, would not bake without one

oops, but not in a cake the size you are talking about...hth

indydeb, what do you set your temp. at? TIA

Set the temp to 325

I have the heating core and I never use it. I don't like it at all. I don't like the hole, I don't like cleaning it, I don't like wondering if I can get the plug cut to the right size, I don't like making sure the plug stays put, I don't like it all. LOL

I use flower nails and bake even strips instead.

bake at 325 and use bake even strips....we use those on ALL cake sizes and never use a heating core...what a mess! All of our cakes no matter what size 4" to 18" all bake nice and level with no core, just the strips.

I like the heating core for bigger cakes, but I am surely in the minority:



http://sugaredblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-love-it-to-core.html

If you lower the bake temp to 325, how much longer do you have to bake the cake? Thanks for all the great info!

I've been baking for 50 years (for real). I don't own a heating core and have never used one. As far as I'm concerned it's just a thing W came up with to sell you more crap. I tried the flower nails but thought it was just silly.

Turn the heat down. Bake until done.

I use flower nails in every cake smaller than 12". I use the heating core in everything 12" and over. I also bake at 325. It's not hard at all to get the plug out of the core (spray with Pam), fit the core into the hole (just gently push it in and cut it off at the level of the cake), ice over it (it won't move). As for cleaning...I toss it in the dishwasher...I don't hand wash ANYTHING, lol.

Tried the heating core - hated it. Tried the flower nails - hated that even more. Turn down oven and bake a little longer

Wow - thanks for all of the great info! I think I'll just use my baking strips with a lower temperature and see how it goes!