Baking Calculator | Ingredient & Oven Temperature Converter
Convert baking ingredients by weight and volume with density-specific math, and switch oven temperatures between Celsius and Fahrenheit in seconds.
Selecting an ingredient ensures the correct density is used in the calculation.
Measurement settings
Cup sizes vary by country. US recipes typically use 236.6 ml. UK Imperial cups are 284 ml. Metric is 250 ml.
Spoon and level: Fluff the flour and spoon it into the cup, then level off.
Dip and sweep: Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour ~10–15% denser.
How the baking calculator works
Unlike simple unit converters that treat everything like water, this tool uses ingredient-specific densities. A cup of flour weighs noticeably less than a cup of sugar or butter.
- Density database: We use specific grams-per-cup values (e.g. ~125 g for all-purpose flour, ~200 g for granulated sugar) sourced from standard baking references.
- Cup standards: You can switch the cup size. The default is the metric cup (250 ml), but you can pick US standard (236.6 ml), US rounded (240 ml), or British/Imperial (284 ml) in the advanced settings.
- Measurement method: "Spoon and level" is the baker's standard. "Dip and sweep" packs the flour ~10–15% denser, and the calculator adjusts for it.
- Rounding: Results are rounded to the nearest practical kitchen unit — grams to whole numbers and cups to friendly fractions like 3/4 or 1/3.
Why it's better to bake by weight
Ask any professional baker and they'll tell you: use weight. Volume measures like "cups" are unreliable for dry ingredients because they compress.
Depending on how you measure, one cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 g (sifted) to 170 g (packed) — a 40 % swing that can turn a light cake into a dense brick.
Tip: No kitchen scale? Use the "spoon and level" method — fluff the flour, spoon it lightly into the cup, then sweep off the top with a knife.
Common baking conversions at a glance
Cups to grams (250 ml metric cup)
| Ingredient | 1 cup | 1/2 cup |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125 g | 63 g |
| Cake flour | 114 g | 57 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 100 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g | 110 g |
| Powdered sugar | 120 g | 60 g |
| Butter | 227 g | 113 g |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g | 43 g |
Volume equivalents for liquids
| Unit | Equals | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons | 15 ml |
| 1 dl | 6.7 tablespoons | 100 ml |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons | 63 ml |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 125 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 250 ml |
| 1 liter | 4 cups | 1,000 ml |
Oven temperature guide
| Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 120 °C | 250 °F | Very low |
| 150 °C | 300 °F | Low |
| 160–170 °C | 325 °F | Low/moderate |
| 180 °C | 350 °F | Moderate (standard) |
| 190 °C | 375 °F | Moderate/hot |
| 200 °C | 400 °F | Hot |
| 220 °C | 425 °F | Hot |
| 230 °C | 450 °F | Very hot |
Convection ovens: If you're using a fan/convection oven, drop the temperature by about 20 °C (≈ 35 °F). Universal baking technique, regardless of the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this calculator?
We use the standard density averages used by professional bakers. Humidity, brand, and how you measure can still cause variation. For absolute precision, always weigh your ingredients.
Which cup size is the default?
The default is the metric cup (250 ml). You can change it to US standard (236.6 ml), US rounded (240 ml), or British/Imperial (284 ml) under "Measurement settings". US recipes most often use 236.6 ml.
What's the difference between spoon-and-level and dip-and-sweep?
Spoon and level means you fluff the flour, spoon it gently into the cup, and sweep the top flat with a knife — it's the baker's standard and gives a lighter cup. Dip and sweep means you scoop straight from the bag, packing the flour ~10–15% denser. The calculator adds 10% automatically when you choose dip-and-sweep with a flour or cocoa ingredient.