I'm thinking of trying the nail in the batter trick for the first time tomorrow and I was wondering if it makes a whole? I'm doing a Wilton Puffed Heart cake and I don't want the top damaged in anyway OR could I just make it a rounded heart anyway by filling it in with more icing?
Thanks,
Susie

it does leave a small hole but nothing a bit of icing won't cover. I've never had a problem with covering it up it should be fine.

The whole is as big as the nail. Nothing to worry about.

Ok, I'm confused then. How can it be just the nail size when you have the big part of it down. I mean doesn't it bake around the round part of the nail where you would put the icing for making a rose and when you pull that through it causes a good sized hole? THanks gals but I'm not thinking this right I guess.
Susie

Just treat it with release or shortening and flour like you do your pans and it should come out fine. Or better yet, grease it then stick it thru a piece of parchment paper, or your parchment liner if you use them, then give it a little twist when you remove it and wa-la.

You flip the cake over and pull it out the other side. The nail sinks to the bottom so it will not be surrounded by cake. There is a little bit of indent from the round part, but nothing that will be noticeable once it's iced.

Susies1955, you aren't pulling the nail through once your cake is baked. When you flip the cake out of the pan, remove the nail from the underside and then all you have left is the tiny hole from the actual nail portion.

it leaves an indentation on the bigger end but it is VERY minimal and will not even be noticed - much better choice than sing the heater core which makes a bigger disturbance.

when you flip the cake out of the pan just remove the nail from the bottom side and pull up an out not through so all you have is a small hole on the top the size of the stem of the nail and a ver small indentation on the bottom- no worries!!

it leaves a hole the size of the 'nail' part of the flower nail....the part flat part of the flower nail, (the part of it you actually put frosting on the make a rose) goes against the bottom of your pan (so your flower nail is upside down)...so when flip your pan over to get your cake out of the pan, all you have to do is grab the flat part of the flower nail once your cake had come out of the pan and pull the flower nail out of the cake...then flip cake over and all you should see is a hole the size of a 'nail'....does that make sense?...

Wow, wow, wow, so many responses. Thanks so much. I think I get it now. I will be sure to put some home made cake release stuff that I learned to make here.
I am GOING to give it a whirl tomorrow.
Susie