I have been reading a lot of posts about using a flower nail which i think is a fantastic idea. I had been out of the loop for a while before i got on here and learned so much, its been great. Search the flower nail thing
Hi ...
I've use the heating core as well....the nails are easier and you only end up with a very small hole...the core you have to fill it with cake batter and then remove the cake batter once cooked and fill the hole in the cake........more trouble than it's worth....in my opnion
Kat 
Joliet,Il
I like the heating core. It works better for me than the strips. (I don't know why) The core I can remove as soon as cake comes from oven. I then replace cake plug in cake and invert pan. I had trouble with nail when I inverted pan, even on raised rack. But I am not the most coordinated so it was probably just me. 
I hate the heating core. I think it's a huge pain and I always have big depressions in my cakes. How do you use the flower nail? I'm envisioning sticking it in the batter and it falling over. Obviously there's got to be more to it. Any my flower nail isn't very long, doesn't the cake raise up taller than the nail?
I hate the heating core. I think it's a huge pain and I always have big depressions in my cakes. How do you use the flower nail? I'm envisioning sticking it in the batter and it falling over. Obviously there's got to be more to it. Any my flower nail isn't very long, doesn't the cake raise up taller than the nail?
Yes, sometimes the cake raises taller than the nail, but it doesn't matter. It still brings heat to the center of the cake to help it bake more evenly. The nail sits upside down in the pan with the flat round piece against the bottom of the pan and the nail sticking straight up. There's a tutorial complete with pictures on the homepage. Scroll down below newest cake recipes.
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