Flower Nails As Baking Cores? And Other Help. Lol
Decorating By kjackson Updated 27 Jan 2007 , 4:54pm by pammelasue
Please explain to me how you insert the nail? I seen a couple posts on this, but it never went into detail about it. I read to spray the nail w/ bakers joy (or whatever) then insert flat (head) side down with spike sticking up. Is this correct? Does the nail leave some type of "void" or impression in the cake when you flip it over and remove it? I'm so worried about that. I'm baking my first 1/2 sheet cake today and am really worried about the middle not getting done while the sides cook too fast. I plan on backing my oven down about 10/25 degrees as it always cooks way too fast.. anyone with any other hints/suggestions? I'm open to any! Thanks so much!!!!
You are correct about the flower nail. Treat it the same way you do your pan-grease/flour whatever, then put it in the center of the pan flat side down.When the cake comes out of the oven and is cooled enough to take out of the pan I lay my cooling rack on top of the pan with the nail sticking through the grid and flip the cooling rack and pan at the same time. You can then pull the nail out. It might leave a little mark where it was but nothing icing won't cover.
I baked my bottom tier for a wedding cake I'm doing this weekend. It is 16" and I did not use a flower nail, I just soaked my bake even strips really good and barely took out excess water, in other words.they were almost dripping when I put them on the pan, and my cakes turned out perfect, they baked perfectly even. I used the flower nails last time and they did leave a mark and a hole in the center of the cake. Alot of people don't like the bake even strips, but I have found that the secret to them is soaking a long time (while your mixing cake), and putting on really wet. BTW, I learned that from my cake instructor. Happy Baking!
Hi,
I too was wondering what "Bake even strips" were and where I could get some. After searching around the net I found a "tip"
Soak a 2 inch strip of heavy towell ( slightly wrung out) and wrap around the tin securing with a pin. Apparently this will ensure evenly baked cakes 
Hope you find it helpful
Happy Baking
Lyn
Wilton makes Bake-Even strips and every Michaels and JoAnns have them. They come in two sizes, medium (the 4 pack) and large (the 2 pack.) They are some sort of flame-retardant material and you soak them for at least 1/2 hour to 45 minutes in water (submersed.) You will need to measure which bake strip fits around your pan -- usually one medium bake strip will fit around an 8-inch pan. Then take them out, run your fingers down the length of them lightly so they are still soaking but not dripping. Wrap your cake pan with it and use the T-pin to secure. Fill cake pan with batter and bake as usual.
The dynamics of this is that when a cake pan goes into a hot oven, the first part that gets hit with the heat is the sides. The heat penetrates through the cake to the center very quickly but then has noplace else to go, so it goes up (heat molecules are lighter so they rise.) This is what gives your cake that dome on top. The bake strips provide a wet barrier for the heat trying to hit the sides, letting the rest of the cake cook evenly, and more flat on top. For larger cakes, like the rectangular cakes, a flower nail as a heating core in the center works well to assist in getting the center properly cooked (metal conducts heat.) Hope that helps! 
Well, all Joann's have them but mine 
The Joann's where I live does not carry ANY cake stuff 
I have to either go to Walmart or drive an hour to the nearest town big enough to have any stores...and they have a Michael's, AC Moores, and Joann's 
Love my Bake-even strips though. I haven't tired the rose nail thing yet because I haven't done a big enough cake to warrent that yet...but I have a wedding cake coming up and I think I'll do as some here suggested and use the Bake-even's and nails.
Pam
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