Baking Conversion Chart - Convert Any Baking Measurement
Convert between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons for any baking ingredient. Comprehensive baking conversion calculator for accurate measurements.
Reviewed by the Calcura editorial team · Last reviewed
- Question
- What are the standard baking ingredient conversions?
- Answer
- Per 1 US cup: all-purpose flour = 125 g; granulated sugar = 200 g; brown sugar (packed) = 220 g; powdered sugar = 120 g; butter = 227 g; water/milk = 237 g; honey ≈ 340 g; cocoa powder ≈ 85 g. Volume equivalents are universal: 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 237 mL. Because density varies by ingredient, never use a single gram-per-cup factor — weight only equals volume for water.
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- Formula
Ingredient-specific density tables (see USDA FoodData Central)- Caveats
- Gram values assume US customary cup (237 mL). Metric cup (250 mL) scales everything ~5.6% higher.
- Sifted vs unsifted flour can differ by 10–15% per cup — always check the recipe.
- Packed brown sugar vs scooped brown sugar: 220 g vs ~145 g per cup.
Baking ingredient conversion chart
Grams, ounces, and tablespoons per 1 US cup (237 mL) for the most common baking ingredients.
| Ingredient | 1 cup (g) | 1 cup (oz) | Tbsp per cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125 | 4.4 | 16 | Spoon and level |
| Bread flour | 127 | 4.5 | 16 | Slightly denser |
| Cake flour | 114 | 4.0 | 16 | Lighter, sifted |
| Whole wheat flour | 113 | 4.0 | 16 | Varies by brand |
| Granulated sugar | 200 | 7.1 | 16 | Pours freely |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 | 7.8 | 16 | Pack firmly |
| Powdered sugar | 120 | 4.2 | 16 | Sift if lumpy |
| Butter | 227 | 8.0 | 16 | 2 US sticks |
| Cocoa powder | 85 | 3.0 | 16 | Unsweetened |
| Honey | 340 | 12.0 | 16 | Dense liquid |
| Milk / water | 240 | 8.5 | 16 | 1 mL ≈ 1 g |
| Vegetable oil | 220 | 7.8 | 16 | ~0.92 g/mL |
What This Calculator Does
Converts an ingredient quantity between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons using density tables tuned to each ingredient. Because flour, sugar, butter, and water all pack differently, the calculator applies the specific mass-per-cup for the ingredient you pick rather than a single volume factor.
When To Use This Calculator
Adapting a US recipe for a scale instead of measuring cups
A cake calls for 2 cups all-purpose flour. With flour set to 125 g/cup, the converter returns 250 g.
Translating a European gram recipe into US cups
A French tart recipe lists 200 g butter. The converter shows 0.88 cup (≈14 tbsp) of butter.
Scaling down a teaspoon-level flavoring
Need to convert 1 tbsp cocoa powder to grams: cocoa at 85 g/cup gives ~5.3 g per tbsp.
Reconciling volume units within one recipe
A recipe mixes '½ cup' and '8 tbsp' in different lines — the tool confirms they are identical (8 tbsp = ½ cup).
How It Works
The calculator holds a density table in mass per US customary cup (236.588 mL). For each ingredient it stores grams per cup, ounces per cup, and the fixed volume equivalences (1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp). Inputs are normalized to cups first, then multiplied by the target unit's factor. Flour uses the USDA/King Arthur 125 g/cup 'spoon-and-level' figure; packed brown sugar uses 220 g/cup; powdered sugar uses 120 g/cup; honey uses 340 g/cup (density ≈ 1.42 g/mL).
Formula
result = (amount / density[from]) × density[to] — where density for cups is always 1.Real-World Example
Scenario
A layer cake recipe calls for 2 cups flour, 1.5 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 cup milk. You want a weight-only version for a kitchen scale.
Calculation
Flour: 2 × 125 = 250 g. Sugar: 1.5 × 200 = 300 g. Butter: 1 × 227 = 227 g. Milk: 1 × 240 = 240 g. Total wet+dry mass in the bowl: 1,017 g before eggs and leavening.
Result
250 g flour, 300 g sugar, 227 g butter, 240 g milk — the weight version of the same recipe.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake: Using a single cup→gram factor for every ingredient
Solution: 1 cup of flour is 125 g but 1 cup of honey is 340 g. Always pick the right ingredient — the density varies by almost 3×.
Mistake: Scooping flour directly with the cup
Solution: Scooping compacts flour and yields ~150 g/cup instead of 125 g. For the tabled conversion to hold, spoon flour into the cup and level off with a straight edge.
Mistake: Not packing brown sugar when the recipe assumes packed
Solution: Packed brown sugar = 220 g/cup; loose = ~145 g/cup. US recipes almost always assume packed; press firmly into the cup until it holds its shape when turned out.
Mistake: Treating fluid ounces as weight ounces
Solution: A fluid ounce is 2 tbsp of volume (29.57 mL). A weight ounce is 28.35 g. They coincide only for water; for honey, 1 fl oz weighs ~42 g.
Related cooking conversions
When This Isn't the Right Tool
Specialty flours (almond, coconut, rye)
Use instead: Densities differ substantially from all-purpose flour. Use the specific flour's label or a dedicated specialty-flour chart.
Fluid ounces vs avoirdupois ounces for liquids
Use instead: This tool uses weight ounces. For fluid ounces, use a cups-to-mL or tbsp-to-cups calculator and convert via volume.
UK or Australian cup sizes
Use instead: The tool uses the US customary cup (236.588 mL). UK cups are 284 mL; Australian metric cups are 250 mL — scale the result by 1.20 or 1.057 accordingly.
How to Verify This Calculation
Cross-check by computing 1 cup of water: the tool should return 240 g. Water at 4 °C is 1.000 g/mL and 1 US cup is 236.588 mL (236.6 g); the 240 g figure is the FDA legal cup convention rounded for labeling. Any ingredient should produce a round number near its published density × 240.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — ingredient composition and densities — Authoritative source for flour, sugar, butter, honey, and dairy composition.
- FDA 21 CFR §101.9(b) — 240 mL legal cup for labeling — Defines the 240 mL cup used in US nutrition labels.
- NIST Handbook 44 — US customary volume equivalences — Establishes 1 US cup = 236.5882365 mL and tbsp/tsp subdivisions.
- King Arthur Baking — ingredient weight chart — Industry-standard baker's reference used for the 125 g/cup flour convention.
Reviewed by the Calcura editorial team · Last reviewed