How to Measure Flour (and Why Your Bakes Turn Out Dense)
Why a scooped cup can hold 25 percent more flour than a spooned one, and the two methods that fix dense cakes, dry cookies and stiff dough.
If your cookies come out cakey, your banana bread dense or your pizza dough stiff, the flour cup is the usual suspect.
Spoon and level
- Stir or whisk the flour in its bag or canister to loosen it.
- Spoon it into a dry measuring cup until heaped. Do not pack it or tap the cup.
- Sweep the flat edge of a knife across the top.
Or weigh it
A kitchen scale is faster and removes the guesswork. We use 125 grams per cup of all-purpose flour. A cup scooped straight from the bag can weigh 150 grams or more, which is about a quarter more flour than the recipe intended.
Other measurements that trip people up
| Ingredient | How to measure | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Brown sugar | Packed firmly into the cup | 1 cup = about 200 g |
| Granulated sugar | Scoop and level | 1 cup = about 200 g |
| Butter | Sticks | 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 113 g |
| Cocoa powder | Spoon and level | 1 cup = about 85 g |
| Rolled oats | Scoop and level | 1 cup = about 90 g |
| Liquids | Liquid measuring cup, at eye level | 1 cup = 240 ml |
Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients and a liquid measuring jug for liquids. They are not interchangeable.
Need a conversion? Try the kitchen converter.
Questions, answered
How many grams is a cup of flour?
For all-purpose flour we use 125 grams per cup (spooned and leveled). Some sources use 120 to 130 grams.
Why are my baked goods dense?
Too much flour is the most common cause. Spoon and level your flour or weigh it, and avoid overmixing once the flour is added.
