Frequently Asked Questions

A cup of all-purpose flour spooned and levelled weighs approximately 120 grams (King Arthur standard). Scooping directly from the bag compacts flour and typically yields 140–150 grams per cup. For the most accurate results, spoon flour into the measuring cup and level with a straight edge — or better yet, weigh it on a kitchen scale.

Granulated white sugar: approximately 200 grams per cup. Brown sugar (packed): approximately 220 grams per cup. Powdered/icing sugar (sifted): approximately 120 grams per cup. Caster/superfine sugar: approximately 200 grams per cup.

One US cup of butter = 227 grams = 8 ounces = 2 sticks. One stick of butter = 113 grams = ½ cup = 8 tablespoons.

It depends on the ingredient. A tablespoon of flour = ~7.5g. A tablespoon of sugar = ~12.5g. A tablespoon of butter = ~14.2g. A tablespoon of water = ~14.8g. There is no single grams-per-tablespoon value — use our Baking Calculator with your specific ingredient.

One US cup = 236.588 mL. One Australian/metric cup = 250 mL. One UK cup (modern) = 250 mL. The difference is small for most recipes but can compound in large batches. Our calculator uses the US cup (236.6 mL) standard.

1 weight ounce (oz) = 28.3495 grams. Multiply ounces by 28.35 to get grams. For example: 4 oz = 4 × 28.35 = 113.4g.

Yes, for most recipes. Multiply every ingredient by 2 (or your desired scale factor). However, there are exceptions: (1) Leavening agents — for very large multiples (4×+), you may not need to scale baking powder/soda linearly. Too much can cause collapse. (2) Eggs — you cannot split most eggs; round to the nearest whole egg. (3) Salt and spices — scale mathematically but taste-test before the full scaled amount is added. (4) Cooking time and pan size — scaling a recipe does not automatically scale these. Use our Pan Size and Baking Time calculators.

Divide 6 by 8 to get the scale factor: 0.75. Multiply every ingredient by 0.75. Our Recipe Scaling Calculator does this automatically for any yield combination.

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate — a base that requires an acid in the recipe (buttermilk, yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice) to activate and produce CO₂ gas. Baking powder contains baking soda plus a dry acid and cornstarch; it is self-activating and does not need an acidic ingredient. They are not interchangeable at 1:1. See our Baking Powder to Baking Soda Conversion Calculator for correct substitution ratios.

Common causes: too much leavening (too much baking powder/soda causes rapid rise then collapse), oven too hot (exterior sets before interior is cooked), batter too wet, pan underfilled, or opening the oven door too early. At altitude, these issues amplify — see the High Altitude Baking Calculator.

Hydration is the ratio of water weight to flour weight expressed as a percentage, using baker's math. 70% hydration means 70g of water per 100g of flour. Higher hydration = wetter, stickier dough = more open crumb in bread. Lower hydration = stiffer, easier-to-shape dough = tighter crumb. Our Baker's Percentage Calculator shows hydration for any formula.

Results are accurate relative to our published density values, which are standardized culinary averages. Real-world variation (packing method, brand, humidity) means your actual measured cup may weigh slightly more or less. For precision baking, weigh ingredients on a digital scale rather than relying on cup measurements.

Different sites use different reference density values for ingredients. For all-purpose flour, values commonly range from 120g to 130g per cup depending on the source and measurement method assumed. Our Methodology page lists every density value we use and why.

Yes. All BakeCalc Pro calculators are designed mobile-first and work on any smartphone, tablet, or desktop browser with no app download required.

Adjustments are typically recommended above 3,500 feet (1,060 meters). Below that, standard sea-level recipes work without modification. The higher you are above 3,500 ft, the more significant the adjustments needed. Our High Altitude Baking Calculator shows adjustments in three tiers: 3,500–5,000 ft, 5,000–7,000 ft, and 7,000+ ft.

At altitude, lower atmospheric pressure means CO₂ gas from leavening expands faster and more aggressively. If the structure (set proteins and starches) cannot form quickly enough to contain the expanding gas, the cake rises rapidly then collapses. The fix is to reduce leavening, increase flour for structure, increase liquid for faster starch gelatinization, and bake at a slightly higher temperature to set the structure faster.