Hi everyone! I've bought a heating core but don not know how to use it exactly. Do you grease it like you do your pans? What size of cakes do you use it in? Thanks.

Yes you would treat it with grease and flour. Usually you use the cores with pans that are larger than 10" .
You could also use flower nails, they do the same and theres no huge hole in your cake.

You grease and flour (or whatever method you use to grease your pan) both the inside and outside of the heating core. Then place it in the center of your pan and pour the batter into your pan and fill the heating core to the same level as your cake batter that is in the pan. Bake as usual and when you remove the cake remove the heating core and take out the plug. Then remove your cake from the pan. After the cake has cooled you can insert the plug into the hole before icing the cake. They say to use it on cakes 10" or larger or 3" high pans.

IMO I prefer to use flower nails instead they are much simplier to use and work great. Just grease and flour the nails and lay them upside down (nail side up) in the pan and pour the batter around it. I usually use them on anything over a 10" or 3" high pans. For a 12" I use 4 (arranged in a circle midway toward the middle of the pan). Of course I err on the side of over kill When you flip the cake just remove the nails and you won't even notice the tiny holes through the cake.

HTH. Oh and I use baking strips on all cakes over 6" (Helps with the hump).

I have a heating core, but much prefer the flower nail and in my opinion it works just as well. I suggest you try both ways and see which you prefer.

Thanks everyone, I think I'll try the flower nail.

A flower nail is much easier to use. I just plunk it into the batter after I fill the pan. Works like a charm!