Helpful Ingredient Weight Chart Measurements

Believe it or not a cup is not always a cup and the way you measure ingredients really does mater.  Ever wonder why some batches of cookies turn out so soft and delicious and others are rock hard?

No more wondering if the cookies will be great or not.  To truly bake to perfection take the time to weigh the ingredients.  Wow, it really does make a difference.

Baking is a science, and math, and lots of other things we likely learned in grade school too but never learned to apply the concepts in this way.  Am I right?  I joke with my boys that you do actually learn great things in school.

Any kitchen scale will work. I like the options to switch between grams and fluid ounces when needed. My current kitchen scale has served me well and I would recommend.

Here is a helpful guide of measurements of common ingredients used in these cookie recipes.

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	Volume	Ounces	Grams
All Purpose Flour	1 Cup	4½ Ounces	120 Grams
Bread Flour	1 Cup	4½ Ounces	120 Grams
Granulated Sugar	1 Cup	7 Ounces	200 Grams
Brown Sugar	1 Cup	7½ Ounces	213 Grams
Confectionary Sugar	1 Cup	4 Ounces	113 Grams

Tablespoon Measurements

Tablespoons	Cups	Fluid Ounces
4 Tablespoons	¼ Cup	2 Fluid Ounces
5 ⅓ Tablespoons	⅓ Cup	2.7 Fluid Ounces
8 Tablespoons	½ Cup	4 Fluid Ounces
12 Tablespoons	¾ Cup	6 Fluid Ounces
16 Tablespoons	1 Cup	8 Fluid Ounces

How to measure without a kitchen scale

I love my kitchen scale since I moved from using measuring cups to weighing ingredients.  They are very affordable too.  Check out all my favorite baking products down below!

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, don’t worry.  Let me show you the next best way to measure Flour specifically.  It’s really pretty simple.

How to measure Flour without a kitchen scale.

If you do not have a kitchen scale, let me share with you how to best measure Flour. Flour will settle and become compact and it sits in the pantry.

To begin, lift and stir flour in the bag or storage container incorporating air into the flour. Not just the top layer of flour either.  Give it a good stir and lift it doing your best not to shake or let the flour settle. 

Then carefully take spoonful of flour and gently place it in measuring cup. Continue spooning and lifting flour into measuring cup until its overfull.

It’s important that the measuring cup is overfull because you won’t want to shake the cup or push the flour into the crevice’s. 

Then using the back of a knife, scrape the top level. Do not shake or press ingredients down. Just carefully scrape knife across top of cup removing excess. This is the best way to measure flour without a kitchen scale.

Any other method of measuring flour will give you different results and can ruin a recipe.  This is the leading cause of hard cookies.  Adding too much flour dries out the dough and makes them hard.

How to measure other ingredients without a kitchen scale.

Other ingredients like sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar are a bit more forgiving when it comes to baking but there are tips with each.

Brown Sugar should be firmly packed into measuring cup.  Always store Brown Sugar in an airtight container.  This helps it to stay moist and not clump. 

Powdered Sugar should also be lifted and stirred before measuring as it will settle and become compact like flour does.  Stir, lift, and scoop a spoonful into a measuring cup.  When the cup is overflowing use a knife and scrap off the top.

Granulated Sugar can be measured using a standard measuring cup. 

Cocoa Powder.  Baking with unsweetened Cocoa Powder can be scary.  But trust me, it’s easy.  Just don’t lick your fingers.  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is biter and doesn’t taste very good at all.  A little bit goes a long ways so you won’t need much in any of my recipes.

I love using a Dutch Process Cocoa or a Black Cocoa to achieve a nice dark brown / black color.  Think Oreo Cookie brown.  It’s wonderful and tastes fantastic too.

Baking is Science

Don't be left scratching your head wondering why a recipe doesn't work the same for you as others. It really could be as simple as how you measure ingredients. That is why I take the time to always measure ingredients in this way.

The results are perfect cookies each and every time. I never have to wonder if the cookies will be 'as good as last time". Soft baked cookies like you are a pro in the kitchen to enjoy with family, friends, and neighbors.

In many ways, Baking is a form of Chemistry, in which you get to eat and enjoy the edible results. Unlike your High School Chem class where you hoped you wouldn't blow something up. In the end Baking Science allows Bakers to explore the process of baking and experience the results of the combination of ingredients in a much better form.