Cakes made with lightly flavored oils, such as corn, sunflower or macadamia nut oil, are very easy to mix (though they do need extra raising agent to stop them becoming heavy), and they can stay moist much longer. But it is debatable whether they are healthier; although some oils contain less saturated fat than butter or margarine, they have just as many kilojoules.

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The lightest cakes - and the classic sponge - are made without any fat at all, and by the whisking method. To replace the bulk of the missing fat, the sugar and eggs are whisked together until the mixture becomes so thick that a trail is left when the beaters are lifted away.

Alternatively, you can replace some of the flour with lighter cornflour. This is usually served as a cake, perhaps accompanied by some whipped cream, but you can also serve it as a dessert, each slice accompanied by fresh fruit and a raspberry coulis.

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To produce light cakes, it is vital to measure out the ingredients accurately and stick to the recipe. If you add too much egg, butter, flour or baking powder, this will make the cake heavy and doughy.

It is air that makes cakes light, so beat the sugar and butter until the mixture is pale, soft and fluffy, and fold in the flour gradually, being careful not to knock out any air. And be sure to use an appropriate fat - if you use soft tub margarine instead of butter in a creamed recipe, the mixture will be too wet and the cake will be flat.

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If things go wrong during baking, disguise the damage as follows -

1. For a burnt cake, slice off the top and shave the sides with a potato peeler. Paint the surface with some warmed sieved jam and cover with a thin layer of bought marzipan or icing.

2. If a cake breaks, stick the pieces back together with jam, then cover with frosting or jam sprinkled with desiccated coconut.

3. If the middle sinks, cut it out and turn the cake into a ring cake. Spread whipped cream over the cake, and fill the cavity with fresh fruit, such as raspberries.

4. If a sponge comes out flat, cut it into fancy shapes, sandwich them together with cream and jam and dust them with icing sugar.

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If cakes are not baked for long enough, they will sink. So follow the time stated in the recipe, use a timer, and don't be tempted to open the oven door during baking. Using too cool an oven, or opening and shutting the oven door during baking will cause sinking, as will too much raising agent in the cake mixture.

Cakes are ready when they are firm in the center and have slightly shrunken away from the sides of the tin; sponges should spring back when touched with your finger.

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