They'll both work and reduce the amount of crowning on your cakes, but using flower nails in your cake will do the same thing with less hassle. I'd use about four flower nails in a 14" round cake. Put them in the pan upside down with the nail part sticking up, spray them with Baker's Joy or whatever you use to lube your pans with, and pour the cake batter around them. They don't leave the big belly button in your cake that the heating core leaves.
Deanna
I agree... The strips are really nice in keeping down the 'dome' effect of your cakes (less dome, less cake you are slicing off the top). I also use rose nails in my 12" and larger pans. They're much cheaper than a heating core, and keep the uniformity of the cake better.
Good luck! 
Crystal
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