Kitchen reference

Baking conversions

A cup of flour and a cup of water do not weigh the same: 120 g against 237 g. Pick the ingredient, and this converts between cups, spoons, grams, and ounces using the same figures as every recipe on Ricotta Bear.

Convert anything

120 ggrams1 cupUS measure4.2 ozby weight

All-purpose flour: 1 cup = 120 g (King Arthur Baking)

Cups to grams, by ingredient

Spooned into the cup and levelled, the way the figures were weighed. US cups (236.6 ml).

Flours + starches
Ingredient1 cup½ cup⅓ cup¼ cup1 tbsp
All-purpose flour plain flour120 g60 g40 g30 g7.5 g
Bread flour strong white bread flour, strong flour120 g60 g40 g30 g7.5 g
Cake flour120 g60 g40 g30 g7.5 g
Self-rising flour self-raising flour113 g57 g38 g28 g7.1 g
Whole wheat flour wholemeal flour113 g57 g38 g28 g7.1 g
Pastry flour106 g53 g35 g27 g6.6 g
'00' pizza flour tipo 00, 00 flour116 g58 g39 g29 g7.3 g
Rye flour (medium)106 g53 g35 g27 g6.6 g
Spelt flour99 g50 g33 g25 g6.2 g
Semolina163 g82 g54 g41 g10 g
Almond flour ground almonds96 g48 g32 g24 g6 g
Cornstarch cornflour112 g56 g37 g28 g7 g
Cornmeal polenta (fine)138 g69 g46 g35 g8.6 g
Rolled oats porridge oats, old-fashioned oats89 g45 g30 g22 g5.6 g
Cocoa powder (unsweetened) cocoa84 g42 g28 g21 g5.3 g
Sugars + syrups
Ingredient1 cup½ cup⅓ cup¼ cup1 tbsp
Granulated sugar white sugar, sugar198 g99 g66 g50 g12 g
Caster sugar superfine sugar, castor sugar190 g95 g63 g48 g12 g
Brown sugar (packed) light brown sugar, dark brown sugar213 g107 g71 g53 g13 g
Powdered sugar icing sugar, confectioners' sugar113 g57 g38 g28 g7.1 g
Demerara sugar220 g110 g73 g55 g14 g
Turbinado sugar raw sugar180 g90 g60 g45 g11 g
Honey336 g168 g112 g84 g21 g
Maple syrup312 g156 g104 g78 g20 g
Corn syrup golden syrup (close substitute)312 g156 g104 g78 g20 g
Molasses black treacle340 g170 g113 g85 g21 g
Sweetened condensed milk312 g156 g104 g78 g20 g
Butter, dairy + eggs
Ingredient1 cup½ cup⅓ cup¼ cup1 tbsp
Butter unsalted butter, salted butter226 g113 g75 g57 g14 g
Cream cheese227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Mascarpone227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Ricotta227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Sour cream227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Yogurt227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Crème fraîche226 g113 g75 g57 g14 g
Cheddar (grated)113 g57 g38 g28 g7.1 g
Parmesan (grated)100 g50 g33 g25 g6.3 g
Liquids + oils
Ingredient1 cup½ cup⅓ cup¼ cup1 tbsp
Water237 g119 g79 g59 g15 g
Milk (whole) whole milk244 g122 g81 g61 g15 g
Heavy cream double cream, whipping cream238 g119 g79 g60 g15 g
Buttermilk245 g123 g82 g61 g15 g
Vegetable oil sunflower oil, canola oil218 g109 g73 g55 g14 g
Olive oil200 g100 g67 g50 g13 g
Lemon juice224 g112 g75 g56 g14 g
Vanilla extract224 g112 g75 g56 g14 g
Chocolate, nuts + fruit
Ingredient1 cup½ cup⅓ cup¼ cup1 tbsp
Chocolate chips170 g85 g57 g43 g11 g
Chocolate (chopped)170 g85 g57 g43 g11 g
Coconut (sweetened, shredded) desiccated coconut85 g43 g28 g21 g5.3 g
Walnuts (chopped)113 g57 g38 g28 g7.1 g
Pecans (whole)105 g53 g35 g26 g6.6 g
Almonds (sliced) flaked almonds86 g43 g29 g22 g5.4 g
Raisins sultanas149 g75 g50 g37 g9.3 g
Peanut butter270 g135 g90 g68 g17 g
Raspberries (fresh) raspberries120 g60 g40 g30 g7.5 g
Jam or preserves340 g170 g113 g85 g21 g
Banana (mashed)227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Pumpkin purée227 g114 g76 g57 g14 g
Leaveners, salt + spices
Ingredient1 tbsp1 tsp
Baking powder12 g4 g
Baking soda bicarbonate of soda, bicarb18 g6 g
Instant yeast fast-action yeast, easy-blend yeast9 g3 g
Table salt fine salt18 g6 g
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)8 g2.7 g
Kosher salt (Morton)16 g5.3 g
Espresso powder7 g2.3 g

Sources: King Arthur Baking's ingredient weight chart; USDA FoodData Central for water, milk, cream, buttermilk and oil, because King Arthur rounds every liquid to 227 g a cup.

Spoons, cups and millilitres

US measureSame asMillilitres
1 tsp⅓ tbsp4.9 ml
1 tbsp3 tsp15 ml
⅛ cup2 tbsp · 1 fl oz30 ml
¼ cup4 tbsp59 ml
⅓ cup5 tbsp + 1 tsp79 ml
½ cup8 tbsp118 ml
⅔ cup10 tbsp + 2 tsp158 ml
¾ cup12 tbsp177 ml
1 cup16 tbsp · 8 fl oz237 ml
2 cups1 pint473 ml
4 cups1 quart946 ml

Ounces and grams

OuncesGrams
1 oz28 g
2 oz57 g
3 oz85 g
4 oz113 g
6 oz170 g
8 oz227 g
12 oz340 g
16 oz (1 lb)454 g
32 oz (2 lb)907 g

Oven temperatures

British recipes give a gas mark and a fan setting. Fan (convection) ovens run about 20°C hotter, so set them 20°C lower.

Gas mark°C°C fan°F
1140°C120°C285°F
2150°C130°C300°F
3160°C140°C325°F
4180°C160°C350°F
5190°C170°C375°F
6200°C180°C400°F
7220°C200°C425°F
8230°C210°C450°F
9240°C220°C465°F

British and American names

Bake Off speaks British. Here is the translation.

In the UKIn the US
Plain flourAll-purpose flour
Self-raising flourSelf-rising flour
Strong white flourBread flour
Caster sugarSuperfine sugar
Icing sugarPowdered (confectioners') sugar
Double creamHeavy cream
Single creamLight cream
Bicarbonate of sodaBaking soda
CornflourCornstarch
Golden syrupNo true match; corn syrup is closest
Black treacleMolasses
SultanasGolden raisins
Mixed spiceClose to pumpkin pie spice
Baking tin / trayBaking pan / sheet

Conversion questions

How many grams are in a cup of flour?

A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 g, spooned into the cup and levelled. Scooping straight from the bag packs it down and can add 20 to 30 g, which is why bakers weigh flour.

How many grams are in a cup of water?

237 g. Water weighs 1 g per millilitre and a US cup is 236.6 ml. Milk is a touch heavier at about 244 g a cup.

Why does a cup of flour weigh less than a cup of water?

A cup measures space, not weight. Flour is full of air between the grains, so a cup holds about 120 g of it against 237 g of water, 198 g of sugar, or 336 g of honey. That is why there is no single cups-to-grams number: it depends on the ingredient.

How many grams are in a cup of sugar?

Granulated sugar is 198 g a cup, caster (superfine) sugar 190 g, packed brown sugar g, and powdered (icing) sugar 113 g.

How much is a stick of butter in grams?

One US stick is ½ cup, 8 tablespoons, or 113 g. A full cup of butter is two sticks, 226 g.

Is a UK cup the same as a US cup?

Not quite. A US cup is 236.6 ml; a metric cup (Australia, sometimes the UK) is 250 ml. British recipes, including Bake Off's, are almost always written in grams anyway, which is the most accurate way to bake.

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