'Where there's a whisk, there's a way!' reads a kitchen quote on Pinterest.

'Really?' I thought to myself [I was struggling at the time to accommodate a huge eggplant (the size of a gourd, literally!) inside the already-stuffed vegetable compartment of my refrigerator] . A whisk is all I need to put an end to my travail! How wonderful is that!!

My 'whisk,' on its part, kept staring at me from its cosy perch on the kitchen countertop, not particularly interested in showing me the 'way.'

'I've no business with eggplants or daikon radishes or cabbages' – it seemed to say.

In the evening however, it (my whisk, that is) seemed kindlier. 'Now that you're thinking of baking a sponge cake, I'm ready to show off my prowess!'

I've been planning to bake a perfectly light and fluffy sponge cake for a while now but, given my past (mis)adventures in this field, developed a cold feet each time the thought crossed my mind. I didn't want to end up with a dense, sticky stuff. Hell, no!

After watching countless YouTube how-to videos, I came up with  a recipe (of course, I'm deeply indebted to my whisk; I shall always be) that worked!

Coming straight to the point: you'll need very few stuffs for the cake BUT here's the catch:

1. All your utensils (either glass or stainless steel) MUST be spotlessly clean, dry and free of any grease.

2. The egg whites should be brought down to room temperature before whisking.

3. Since ovens & microwaves differ, setting the temperature may feel a bit tricky in the beginning so, start with 140 C/ 275 F/ Gas Mark 1 and bake for about 35-40 min (or until a toothpick, when inserted into the hot centre of the cake, comes out clean). The cake should not crack on the top.

You'll need the following for the Sponge Cake:

a. 4 large eggs (yolks & whites separated)

b. 150 grams flour

c. 1 tsp baking powder

d. 1/4th tsp cooking soda

Sift items b, c, d & i together

e. 80 grams unsalted butter

f. 12 tbsp caster sugar

g. 30 ml/ 8 tbsp full-fat milk (warm to hot)

h. 1/4th tsp lime juice

i. a pinch of salt

j. 1 tsp vanilla essence

Heat the butter over a low flame or in the microwave. Pour in the milk and 4 tbsp sugar, stirring until well incorporated. Now add the egg yolks (one at a time) and the vanilla essence into the butter & milk mixture and whisk briskly until pale and frothy. This should take about a minute.

In a separate mixing bowl (use a large, roomy one), start whisking the egg whites with an electric blender and gradually put in the lime juice and the remaining sugar. Keep whisking until the volume is doubled and the texture pale and creamy. Whisk on for some more time until stiff peaks start forming. The whole process should take about 4 minutes. Set the bowl aside.

Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the whisked egg yolk batter with a very light hand. Avoid forming lumps as you fold.

Now, add the whisked egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well with a spatula using the cut and fold technique.

Pre-heat your oven at 140 C and prepare your cake tin (diameter: 15 cm). Line the bottom of the tin with baking parchment. Grease it well to prevent the batter from sticking to the sides. Slowly pour in the batter into the tin. Knock out the air bubbles by tapping on the sides with a mallet. Place the prepared cake tin on a bath of hot water and bake at 140 C for about 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Once done, allow the cake to cool on the wire rack for 15 minutes (inside the oven) before unmoulding. Run a sharp knife along the sides of the cake tin and invert the cake on the wire rack. When it's cool enough, cut the cake into wedges or slices.

Thankfully, all your travails end here.

Now, you can have your cake and eat it too