Dessert First

Here’s my philosophy on measurements in baking in two sentences: Use a scale. It’ll make your life so much easier.

In the US, most cooking measurements are still done in volume: measuring cups and spoons for dry ingredients, liquid measures for liquids. However, for baking, where precision is key to the success of many a recipe, once you measure in weight, you’ll realize the imprecision of using volume.

I use measuring flour as the best example. Use a measuring cup to scoop out a cup of flour from a bag and weigh it on a kitchen scale. Now scoop out a second cup and weigh it. What’s the difference in weight? Whether you packed in the flour tightly, levelled off the top of the measuring cup, shook the cup as you were filling it – all these variables will affect how much flour actually goes in your recipe – and it can vary every time. On the other hand, if you weigh out 5 ounces or 140 grams of flour on a scale, you’ll get the same amount every time.

That’s why I consider my kitchen scale to be one of the most indispensable tools in my kitchen. By using it, I eliminate one of the biggest factors that can influence the outcome of baked goods: imprecise measurement.

That said, many of my recipes on this site are still in US standard measurements (cups, pints, teaspoons, etc.) because I adapted them from recipes that used these measurements, and I wasn’t diligent enough at the time to convert everything to metric as well.

I am in the process of converting all the recipes on my website to have both standard and metric measurements (and to have them printable as well), but in the meantime I’m also putting up this page of conversions that I’ve accumulated over the years. If you come across one of my recipes and it isn’t converted, go ahead and use the conversions below. Note that this information is based on baking references I’ve consulted and my own personal experience. Please use caution when applying them to your own recipes – a little tweaking may be required as the translation between volume and weight is always a tricky thing. If you have any questions or any conversions you’d like to see, please e-mail me!

Flours/Other Dry Ingredients

All Purpose Flour:  1 cup = 5 ounces = 140 grams

Cake Flour:  1 cup = 4 ounces = 110 grams

Cornstarch:  1 cup = 4 ounces = 110 grams

Cocoa Powder:  1 cup = 3 1/4 ounces = 91 grams

Sugars

Granulated White Sugar:  1 cup  = 7 ounces = 200 grams

Brown Sugar (Light or Dark):  1 cup = 7 ounces = 200 grams

Confectioners’ (Powdered/Icing) Sugar:  1 cup = 4 ounces = 110 grams

Dairy

Milk (All Kinds), Cream:  1 cup (liquid measure) = 8.2 ounces = 230 grams

Butter:  1 cup (2 sticks) = 8 ounces = 220 grams

Other Liquids

Water:  1 cup (liquid measure) = 8.2 ounces = 230 grams

Corn Syrup:  1 cup (liquid measure) = 10.9 ounces = 310 grams

Molasses:  1 cup (liquid measure) = 9  ounces = 260 grams

Honey:  1 cup (liquid measure) = 10.9 ounces = 310 grams

Vegetable Oil: 1 cup (liquid measure) = 7  ounces = 200 grams

Common Units of Dry Measurements

3 teaspoons =  1 Tablespoon =  1/2 ounce =  14 grams

4 tablespoons = 2 ounces = 1/4 cup = 56 grams

32 tablespoons = 2 cups = 16 ounces = 1 pounds

Other Common Conversions

1 ounce = 28 grams

1 fluid ounce = 30 milliliters

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 128 ounces = 3.8 liters (liquid)