To get the best cookies, cakes and breads, how you measure ingredients matters! Let’s discuss weight vs. volume and why you need a kitchen scale.
When it comes to baking, precise measurements are so important! It can mean the difference between success and a recipe flop. And no one wants to waste time on a recipe that doesn’t turn out. Have you ever had cookies that didn’t spread and felt too cakey, or a cake that was dense and dry instead of moist and fluffy? It could all be because of how you measured your ingredients.
In this article I’m going to explain why accuracy and attention to detail matters when it comes to measuring ingredients, and the best way to do it! (Spoiler alert, yes you really do need a kitchen scale.)
Table of Contents
Why measurement matters in baking
We’ve all heard that baking is a science, and that’s because it’s true! The right balance of ingredients ensures the best texture, structure, and flavor. While cooking can be very forgiving and a great opportunity to have fun with experimentation, baking requires accuracy to achieve consistent results every time.
Understanding volume vs. weight
Measuring ingredients can be done in two primary ways: by volume or by weight. And both methods can yield very different results!
The problem with measuring by volume
Volume measurements are given in cups, tablespoons and teaspoons and measures ingredients by the space they occupy. It’s the method most of us grew up on and are used to using, but it can be very consistent. For example:
- Did you know that measuring cups can vary from brand to brand? What if the measuring cups I use in creating a recipe are noticeably different from the measuring cups you have in your kitchen?
- Ingredients settle over time, affecting how much fits into a measuring cup.
- How you use your measuring cups will affect how much goes in. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 150 grams depending on how it is scooped!
Measuring by weight is better!
Weight measurements are listed in grams or ounces and require a kitchen scale. It eliminates guesswork and minimalizes mistakes, as a gram is always a gram.
- There’s no need to worry about the right way to use your measuring cups. A cup of flour is always the same.
- Your favorite cookies, cakes, muffins etc. will turn out exactly the same every time!
- There’s less of a chance of a goof-up (“have I already added 2 cups or 3?“).
- Using a scale is actually quicker and easier, as all ingredients can go straight into your mixer bowl.
- You’ll have less cleanup since you won’t be dirtying any measuring cups. This is particularly helpful with sticky ingredients like peanut butter and honey.
- It’s easier to halve or double a recipe if the ingredients are in grams (much less math required!).
A note about recipes on this website: All of my baking recipes provide both cup and weight measurements, as I want my recipes to be accessible to all. But I highly encourage you to use the gram measurements! It’s how I created the recipes, and it also ensures you’ll have the most success (which is my biggest goal!).
You’ll notice in most of my recipes I still use teaspoon and tablespoon measurements over grams for small amounts like salt and leaveners, and that’s just my personal preference.
Tips for using a kitchen scale
Do not be intimidated by using a kitchen scale, they’re very affordable and easy to use. Here is the digital kitchen scale I use all the time.
If you’re just getting started using a scale for weighing your baking ingredients, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Zero the scale: Always place your mixing bowl on the scale and reset it to zero before adding ingredients. Then just zero it out in between each ingredient addition.
- Use grams instead of ounces: Grams provide more precision than ounces.
- Use the scale to portion batter or dough: For example, zero a cake pan on your scale before adding batter, then add the same amount of batter to each pan. You can also weigh dinner rolls, etc. to make sure they’re the same size and will bake evenly.
Baking ingredient weight chart
These are the equivalents used on this website and widely in other baking recipes elsewhere:
- All-purpose flour: 1 cup = 125 grams
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup = 200 grams
- Brown sugar: 1 cup = 215 grams
- Powdered sugar: 1 cup = 113 grams
- Butter: 1 cup = 227 grams
- Cocoa powder: 1 cup = 85 grams
- Buttermilk: 1 cup = 227 grams
- Milk : 1 cup = 227 grams
- Heavy cream: 1 cup = 227 grams
- Sour cream/yogurt: 1 cup = 227 grams
- Water: 1 cup = 227 grams
Make the switch!
If you’re new to weighing ingredients, start small. Try weighing flour, sugar, and butter in your next recipe. Over time, you’ll find it simplifies the baking process and improves results. And once you make the switch, you’ll likely never go back!
By adopting weight measurements in your baking routine, you ensure greater accuracy, consistency, and delicious results every time.
Do you have any questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email anytime.
This article was originally published in 2011 when I was in culinary school. This was literally the first lesson we learned in baking, and I’ve never looked back.
