The Ultimate Baking Conversion Guide

Why a cup of flour and a cup of sugar weigh different amounts

A cup is a volume, 236.6 mL in the US. How many grams fit into it depends on the ingredient's density and on how it was packed. A cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 g, a cup of all-purpose flour about 125 g and a cup of cocoa powder only 85 g. That is why "100 g to cups" has no single answer, and why every converter on this site asks for the ingredient first.

The formula itself is simple: cups = grams ÷ grams per cup. For 300 g of all-purpose flour at 125 g per cup, 300 ÷ 125 = 2.4 cups, which is about 2⅜ cups. For 300 g of granulated sugar at 200 g per cup, the answer is 1½ cups.

Grams per US cup for common baking ingredients

The figures come from two published references: USDA FoodData Central household measures and King Arthur Baking's ingredient weight chart. Where they differ, the difference is usually how the cup was filled.

Ingredient — This site (g per cup) — USDA FoodData Central — King Arthur Baking

All-purpose flour — 125 — 125 — 120

Bread flour — 130 — 137 — 120

Cake flour — 120 — 137 — 120

Whole wheat flour — 120 — 120 — 113

Almond flour — 96 — — — 96

Granulated sugar — 200 — 200 — 198

Brown sugar, packed — 220 — 220 — 213

Powdered sugar — 120 — 120 — 113

Butter — 227 — 227 — 226

Vegetable oil — 218 — 218 — —

Honey — 340 — 339 — 336

Whole milk — 244 — 244 — 227

Rolled oats — 90 — 81 — 89

Cocoa powder — 85 — 86 — 84

Chocolate chips — 170 — 170 — 170

Each ingredient page lists its own sources with links, and the full ingredient list covers more than 150 ingredients.

Spoon and level, or scoop?

For flour, the way you fill the cup matters more than which reference you use. Scooping the cup straight through the bag compresses the flour and can add 15 to 25 g per cup. Over three cups, that is a quarter-cup of flour the recipe never asked for, and it shows as dry cake and tight cookies.

The method most American recipes assume:

Stir the flour in its bag or canister to loosen it.

Spoon it into a dry measuring cup until it mounds over the rim. Don't tap or shake the cup.

Sweep the excess off with the back of a knife.

Brown sugar is the exception: recipes mean it packed, pressed into the cup so it holds its shape when turned out. Powdered sugar and cocoa should be spooned in lightly and sifted if they are lumpy. Liquids go in a clear liquid measuring cup, read at eye level.

Volume conversions (US)

These are exact and do not depend on the ingredient.

From — To — Multiply by

1 cup — tablespoons — 16

1 cup — teaspoons — 48

1 cup — fluid ounces — 8

1 cup — milliliters — 236.6

1 tablespoon — teaspoons — 3

1 tablespoon — milliliters — 14.8

Weight conversions

From — To — Multiply by

1 ounce — grams — 28.35

1 pound — grams — 453.6

1 kilogram — ounces — 35.27

A US stick of butter is ¼ lb, 113 g, and ½ cup. Note that a fluid ounce is a volume and an ounce is a weight; they only match for water.

Oven temperatures

Fahrenheit — Celsius — Fan oven — Gas Mark — Typical use

250°F — 120°C — 100°C — ½ — Long slow roasts

300°F — 150°C — 130°C — 2 — Rich fruit cakes

325°F — 160°C — 140°C — 3 — Cheesecakes, custards

350°F — 180°C — 160°C — 4 — Most cakes and cookies

375°F — 190°C — 170°C — 5 — Pies, muffins

400°F — 200°C — 180°C — 6 — Scones, roast vegetables

425°F — 220°C — 200°C — 7 — Puff pastry, roast potatoes

450°F — 230°C — 210°C — 8 — Bread, pizza

The Celsius figures are rounded the way recipes and oven dials round them; the exact formula is °C = (°F − 32) × 5 ÷ 9, so 350°F is 176.7°C, set as 180°C. A fan (convection) oven is usually set 20°C lower, as in the fan column; check your oven's manual. The oven temperature converter does the arithmetic for any setting.

International cup sizes

Country — Cup size

US — 236.6 mL

UK (metric) / Australia — 250 mL

Japan — 200 mL

A 250 mL metric cup holds about 6% more than a US cup. In most cakes that is within tolerance; in bread and custards it can show. This site uses the US cup unless you pick another standard in the converter.

Common conversion mistakes

Converting grams to cups with a water figure. Only water weighs about 237 g per cup. Flour is roughly half that.

Mixing up packed and loose brown sugar. Packed is 220 g per cup; loose is about 145 g.

Treating a stick of butter as a cup. One stick is ½ cup (113 g); a cup is two sticks.

Halving eggs by eye. One large egg out of its shell weighs about 50 g. To halve one, beat it and weigh out half.

The short version

If a recipe gives grams, weigh them; a kitchen scale removes every number in this guide from the problem. If it gives cups, spoon and level dry ingredients, pack brown sugar, and use the ingredient's own grams-per-cup figure, not a generic one.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert grams to cups for baking?

Divide the grams by the ingredient's weight per cup. 250 g of all-purpose flour at 125 g per cup is 2 cups; 250 g of sugar at 200 g per cup is 1¼ cups.

Why do different charts give different grams per cup for flour?

Because they fill the cup differently. USDA's 125 g matches spooned and levelled flour; King Arthur Baking's 120 g assumes the flour is fluffed first. Scooped flour can weigh 140 g or more.

Is a UK cup the same as a US cup?

No. Modern UK and Australian recipes use a 250 mL metric cup, about 6% larger than the 236.6 mL US cup.