Baking Conversion FAQ

Grams, ounces, and cups

How many grams are in a cup of flour?

A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 grams using King Arthur's spooned-and-leveled method, the figure we use throughout the site. Many charts print 125 grams, and flour scooped straight from the bag can reach 140 to 150 grams, which is exactly why weighing beats measuring by volume.

Why do baking converters disagree with each other?

Two reasons. First, the fill method: a cup of flour spooned and leveled is about 120 grams, but scooped and packed it can be 150 grams, so charts that assume different methods print different numbers. Second, the cup itself is not universal, ranging from the US customary 236.6 ml to the metric 250 ml and the UK imperial 284 ml. We state our method and cup standard on every conversion.

How many ounces are in a cup?

A cup holds 8 fluid ounces by volume, which is a measure of space, not weight. That is true for any liquid: 1 US cup equals 8 fluid ounces equals 236.6 ml. Weight ounces are different and depend on the ingredient, since a cup of flour weighs about 4.2 ounces while a cup of water weighs about 8.3 ounces. See how many ounces in a cup for the full breakdown.

How many tablespoons are in a cup?

There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup, and 3 teaspoons in each tablespoon, so 48 teaspoons in a cup. One US tablespoon is 14.79 ml. Australia is the exception, where the standard tablespoon is 20 ml, so an Australian cup holds about 12.5 of them.

How many grams is a stick of butter?

One stick of butter weighs 113.4 grams. That is half a cup, 8 tablespoons, or 4 ounces, and two sticks make a full cup at about 227 grams. See butter cups to grams for every measure.

Spoon measures

How many grams is a teaspoon of baking powder, baking soda, salt, yeast, or vanilla?

Small amounts vary by ingredient because each has its own density. Per level teaspoon: baking powder is about 4 grams, baking soda about 4.8 grams, table salt about 6 grams, instant yeast about 3 grams, and vanilla extract about 4.7 grams. These are small enough that a level spoon is usually accurate enough without a scale.

Cups around the world

What cup does an Australian recipe use?

An Australian recipe uses the metric cup of 250 ml, slightly larger than the US customary cup of 236.6 ml. Australia also uses a 20 ml tablespoon, larger than the US and UK tablespoon, so measure Australian recipes with the metric cup selected in the converter.

Is a UK cup different from an American cup?

Yes. A UK imperial cup is 284 ml, noticeably larger than both the US cup at 236.6 ml and the metric cup at 250 ml. You will mainly meet it in older British cookbooks, since most modern UK recipes give weights in grams and volumes in millilitres rather than cups.

Oven, privacy, and gear

What is 350F in Celsius and gas mark?

350F is 180C, which is gas mark 4, the most common moderate baking temperature. See our oven temperature conversion for the full Fahrenheit, Celsius, and gas mark chart.

Is anything I type uploaded or stored?

No. Every calculation runs inside your own web browser. The amounts, units, and ingredients you enter are never uploaded to a server, stored, or seen by us. See the privacy policy for details.

Should I buy a kitchen scale?

Honestly, yes, if you bake regularly. A basic kitchen scale is inexpensive, removes the fill-method error that makes a cup of flour range from 120 to 150 grams, uses fewer dishes, and makes recipes repeatable. For occasional cooking, measuring cups are perfectly fine. This is our honest recommendation and not a paid endorsement of any brand.