I have searched this site but I could not find the answer so I will ask it - Do you have to use the heating core in the Stand Up Bear Cake? I have read the instructions and I know to use a firm batter like a pound cake or 1/2 pound cake and 1/2 cake mix about 6 to 6 1/2 cups. I am just a little bit reluctant to use the heating core for fear it will cause the cake to crack. I have used heating cores before in large cakes but this heating core looks like it fits in over half of the bear's body. Looking at the pictures in the Gallery I know a number of us have had success with this cake pan. If you have any suggestions please share them. I will be making the cake later on today and I was trying to get my thoughts together on how I should proceed.

I don't think it will cook all the way through without some help. I'm not really sure why you're concerned about cracking, though. Do you mean when you take the core out? I've only made it for family so I leave the heating core in to serve. I don't know if it's difficult to remove since I've never tried. It never even occurred to me to fill the core to stop up the hole until I found this site.

I was thinking about taking the heating core out of the cake once the cake is done since the cake is for someone else. And yes, if I use the core I was going to fill the core with batter. As I was doing my research, I read where other's just left the heating core in the bear but I did not want to do this since this cake is not for me nor a family member. I was just wondering if anyone has made this bear without the heating core and what were the results. Now if the best results are to use the heating core then I will use it.

I pulled the core out before I decorated the bear and halfways trough the head fell off.... If you don't want to leave the core in, stabilze it with dowel rods or something like that.

When you bake the bear with the heating core, grease the heating core inside and out, then pour some batter into the heating core too. When you're done baking, let the cake cool, along with the cake that was in the heating core. After removing the heating core from the cake, just plug the hole up in the bear witih the cake that was in the heating core. This will fill the hole and keep the cake stabilized.

Hi there I have done two of the 3d stand up bear in in the last month both of them I used reg. cake mix and the heating core I just followed the dir. filled the heating core half way with mix putt it in the bear baked up just fine. I cooled it took the cake out of the heating core put alittle frosting in the bear then the cake out of the core and dec. it every thing just fine,

I have also used the stand up pan with the heating core in it. Just grease the core well inside and out and you should have no problems. I filled the whole with the cake core and icing after it was all cool.
If the head falls off (which I have read in other post) don't panic. Some people actually take the head off on purpose and put it back on with dowel rods.

I use the pans without the heating core all the time. Just bake about 10 to 15 minutes longer and then insert a ling knife through to check to see it done.

Also, I have used the regular yellow mix with pudding and the pound cake mix...either one works fine for me alone...don't mix.

Have fun!!!!

OK, here is what I did and it worked. I did not use the heating core but I slowly cooked my cake at 300 degrees for about 1 hour. I know the directions says to use 6 cups of batter but I used 7 cups of batter. I got a little bit of spillage but I carved that off and the bear looks great.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I am so Glad to have read your post. I had been wondering the same thing. I will try mine next time without the core and see how it works...I have had success and failure with the core. with plain mix and the core, my whole cake fell apart when I tried to take it out of the pan....