Cup to Gram Conversion Chart: Baking and Cooking Guide

A recipe says "a cup of flour" and you follow it to the letter, yet the result turns out different every time. The reason is that a cup isn't an accurate measure at all — and weighing in grams is the solution.

Why Cups Are Inaccurate

A cup measures volume, while weight depends on the density of the ingredient and how it was placed into the cup:

• Scooping the cup directly from the flour bag packs the flour down → up to 150 grams.
• Fluffing the flour with a spoon and spooning it into the cup → around 120 grams.
• The difference is 25% — which is the most common cause of dry cakes or tough dough.

In everyday cooking this difference doesn't matter much, but in baking, ratios are everything.

Dry Ingredients — Cup to Grams

• All-purpose white flour: 120 grams
• Whole wheat flour: 130 grams
• Semolina: 170 grams
• Cornstarch: 120 grams
• Granulated white sugar: 200 grams
• Packed brown sugar: 220 grams
• Powdered sugar: 120 grams
• Raw rice: 185 grams
• Rolled oats: 90 grams
• Cocoa powder: 100 grams
• Shredded coconut: 80 grams
• Chopped nuts: 120 grams
• Grated cheese: 100 grams
• Breadcrumbs: 110 grams

Liquids and Fats

• Water / milk: 1 cup = 240 ml = 240 grams
• Oil: 220 grams
• Butter: 225 grams (≈ about 1 and a half sticks)
• Honey / molasses: 340 grams
• Yogurt: 250 grams
• Heavy cream: 240 grams
• Tahini: 240 grams

Spoons

• 1 tablespoon = 15 ml · 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
• 1 tablespoon flour: 8 grams
• 1 tablespoon sugar: 12 grams
• 1 tablespoon butter: 14 grams
• 1 tablespoon honey: 21 grams
• 1 teaspoon salt: 6 grams
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast: 3 grams
• 1 teaspoon baking powder: 4 grams

Oven Temperatures

• 120 °C = 250 °F
• 150 = 300
• 180 = 350 (the most common in cake recipes)
• 200 = 400
• 220 = 425
• 250 = 480

Important note: If your oven has a fan (convection), reduce the temperature by 20 degrees from what is written in the recipe — the fan distributes heat more efficiently.

How to Measure Correctly Without a Scale

For flour: Fluff it with a spoon inside the bag first, then spoon it into the cup without packing it down, then level the top with the back of a knife. Never scoop directly with the cup from the bag.

For brown sugar: On the contrary — pack it firmly into the cup until it holds its shape. All recipes assume it is packed.

For butter: Use the markings on the wrapper packaging — a standard block of butter is 225 grams.

For liquids: Use a clear liquid measuring cup and read it at eye level, not from above.

And for molasses and honey: Grease the cup lightly with oil first — it will slide right out without sticking.

When Weight Matters and When It Doesn't

Essential for: Bread and pizza (the water-to-flour ratio is critical), macarons and meringues, sponge cakes, and any recipe that gives you percentages.

Not essential for: Soups, stews, salads, and sauces — these recipes are forgiving and tasting as you go fixes any discrepancy.

And a digital kitchen scale is one of the cheapest kitchen tools and the one with the biggest impact on results. If you buy only one tool for baking, make it a scale.

Baker's Percentages

Bakeries calculate every ingredient as a percentage of the flour weight, with flour always set at 100%. An example for bread dough:

• Flour 100% (500 grams)
• Water 65% (325 grams)
• Salt 2% (10 grams)
• Yeast 1% (5 grams)

The benefit of this system is that you can scale any recipe up or down with simple multiplication, and compare recipes instantly. A dough with 65% water is easier to handle, while 80% creates larger air pockets but remains sticky.

Baking Pan and Dish Sizes

Changing the pan size changes the batter thickness and consequently the baking time — a common issue when a recipe calls for a pan you don't own:

• 20 cm round pan ≈ 18 cm square pan (nearly the same capacity).
• 23 cm round pan ≈ 20 cm square pan.
• 22×33 cm pan = double a 23 cm round pan.
• 23×13 cm loaf pan ≈ 20 cm round pan.

The timing rule: If the pan is wider, the batter will be thinner, so reduce the time by 20-25% and keep watch. If it is narrower and deeper, increase the baking time and reduce the temperature by 10 degrees so the center cooks through before the top burns.

Scaling Recipe Quantities

If you want to scale up a recipe, multiply all ingredients by the same factor — with three exceptions:

• Salt and spices: Multiply by 75% of that factor and taste first — strong seasonings accumulate quickly.
• Baking time: Does not double — it only increases by 20-30% if the thickness increases.
• Pot size: Must actually be larger; overcrowding completely changes how food cooks.

Summary

A cup of flour is 120 grams if spooned and leveled, and 150 if scooped directly with the cup. Weigh baking ingredients on a scale, spoon flour into the cup if you don't have a scale, and pack your brown sugar.