Just was wondering if you more experienced bakers could let me know if a flower nail will help with a 12 x 3 inch round pan. I used this pan once before without a nail or core and the cake was not done in the middle. Will a nail in the center do the trick or should I buy a core?

Thank you!

I would invest in a core. The nail works best with smaller cakes. JMO

I use a nail all the time with a 12 inch. Works great!

I just did a 12 x 3 inch cake and the flower nail worked just fine. Cake baked beautifully and all was well.

I don't use either one... I bake it as you would any cake and when the outside browns I turn down the heat to 225 till the inside is done. Works for me!

I use two flower nails for a 12 inch, works great!

I've used on for 14" and it still works perfectly.

I use 1-2 flower nails, and it's fine for me.

Sarah

To answer your questions about the baking time at 225... maybe another 20-30 min. I watch it closely.

I just baked a 10x10x3 and I used 3 flower nails. It did work out fine, but I am always nervous about baking longer because I do not want to dry out my cakes. So I was just wondering if a SOUP CAN would work as a larger, taller heating core especially in a larger cake pan? (DANGER, DANGER! Brain is working overtime here - coming up with these whacked ideas! ).
But I was thinking if you took the lid and the bottom off, greased the can, poured you batter into the pan and just lowered the can into the batter in the center of your pan and VOILA! Also this would not leave the hole that needs to be plugged like the Wilton heating core does.
I have not tried this yet because this "idea" just came to me over the weekend!

I use a really large flowernail in cakes up to 16". I bake at a slightly lower temp...~340. Turns out beautifully.

I use a tomato paste can. I spray it and just stick it in center, of course both ends are removed. It makes a cleaner hole to me than the core. 

I don’t use anything.   They bake just fine.  Yes it takes a bit longer but bake through completely.   I think it might depend on the oven.   As K8 reminds us in another post “what is ones never is another’s always” :) 

Wow, a 13 YEAR OLD POST...........this site is a mess.

When I do larger tiers, like the 12", I use multiple heating cores (they resemble flower nails).  For a 12", I would use four or five.  Don't know that it is necessary, but why not.