Hi there! I'm new to this thread and had a quick question. Hopefully someone can help me out. Any suggestions on oven temp and time when baking a 12" square cake (2 in deep) without using a heating core? I don't have any metal flower nails available to use as heating cores :(

I'd go low and slow if I were you. Maybe around 290 degrees F? If you have the Wilton wrap around heating strips use those so the edges don't get too done. I've heard you can also tear up an old dish towel and, as long as you wet it really good and wring it out, it works well, too. As for the time, I have no clue. Just make sure the middle is done- probably going to take awhile. Maybe some other posters can help us out.

I have never used a heating core or flower nails.  Baked cakes as big as the 15" hexagon.

VERY important to know your oven.  Any hot spots, accurate calibration, level, etc.  Then I used the magic cake strips well and truly soaking wet for each cake, and 325F.  The cakes baked in less time than the Wilton charts show.

What I just did this weekend was use less batter (1 box of mix vs. 2 boxes) and it baked perfectly at 350 degrees for 22 minutes.  Then I didn't have to torte, I just filled & layered the thinner cakes.  Hope this helps

I used a couple of flower nails once - once - and just thought it was silly.  Anyway, in 50 years of baking, I've truly experienced no need for heating cores or flower nails for baking.  Just turn the temp down.  For large layers I'll sometimes go down to 300.

Bake-even strips and lowered oven temperature. If you don't have the strips you can make some by cutting up kitchen towels, folding them to make 2-3 layer 'wrap' around the pan. Secure with a t-pin or whatever metal pin you have. I've also heard that wet newspapers work too.

I have never used flower nails nor heating cores for any size cakes i have made. I don,t knock anyone that does. I don,t use the bake even strips either. i have , when i first starting decorating cakes, but stopped using them some years back. hth