Just a quick demo to show what the flower nail method looks like. This method is an alternative to using "bake even strips" for a cake that requires less to no leveling after baking.
Hope this is helpful.

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-Rezzy

Thanks. Awesome pictorial. I still love my leveler though

Just the way I do it!! Way to go!!

Wow, that's pretty cool! I will have to try it sometime!

Thanks!

Great! Thank you for this! I will be needing to employ this method soon, and it's great to see it like this!

Very dedicated and sweet of you to take the time to do this...

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I've never used this method but I think I'll try it. If it keeps me from taking off the top 1/4 of my cake I'm all for it.

Thanks for the great info!

Great pictures! It took me awhile to figure out this method when I was doing a full sheet cake the first time. I had to put 3 nails in there just to cook it all the way through. Thanks for posting.

Thank you! I've been wanting to post this for months and finally got a chance. Glad to be of help!.

I'm glad you mentioned that!! I use two flower nails for 1/2 sheetcakes: one on each side, kinda centered,
and three for full sheetcakes: one in the middle, then one on each side of that. They cook evenly and no holes to fill back up like with baking cores.

Hmm...I've never put them i nafter putting in the cake batter. I always assumed it would stick doing it that way! I put in hte nail, and then try to get the batter around it! Good to know I can do it afterward! Thanks!

Thanks for posting that. I usually put the nail in my sheet cakes, and over the weekend I used it on a 10x3 square pan and it was level. I use the nail because I wanted the cake to bake faster, but realize now that it made it even too.

Cheers!

Wow...definitely going to try this next cake!! Thanks for the time & effort to share your pictorial!!

I also will be needing to do this soon (for the first time). Thanks so much for the pictures.

I tend to use both the nail(s) and the strips, just because that seems to work for me.

I agree with tracey1970, the strips and the flower nail is the best for me.

Thanks for posting this rezzy!

i sometimes use this technique but i have a convection oven and i found that if i turn the fan off and just use the bake setting i dont get that dome on top and the cakes are pretty nice and level... just a little bit of leveling with a knife and thats it. i have also found that it makes perfect cupcakes this way too!!

Thanks for the wonderful pictures, as I write, I have in the oven one cake using the flower nails for the first time, I can't wait to see it fully baked, also is my first time I bake the WASC recipe from here. Let's see.

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whoo hooo! Im gonna try it out!! The tops of my cakes always dome. I thought it was just something I did wrong, I guess It was cause I wasnt using this...I only leveled a couple times but I did it with Invisible string because my wilton leveler got lost while letting someone borrow it
Thank you for the visuals very very helpful!

I hear about this method often but never was brave enough to try. Thanks for sharing.

i'm definitely going to start using this trick, but i have to ask... exactly how does it keep the cakes from doming? i don't quite understand that aspect of this.

I put my nails (greased) in the pan first then pour the batter in after. Does it make a difference what you do? Wouldn't you end up with batter under the nail if you put it in after? I just bang the pan on the counter to settle the batter and get the air bubbles out, I haven't had any problems, though I do usually have a slight dome on the top.

I put my greased nail(s) in the pan first and then put my batter around the nail. I also use the Wilton baking strips and have great results uisng both at the same time.

thanks for posting these pics =) it seems so simple but i have never been successful in this! now i will try it again =)

Thank you! I will be trying this this weekend...

Thanks for sharing this. Will give it a try.