Ingredient Weight Converter · leavener
Baking Powder: cups to grams
1 cup of baking powder weighs 192 grams. Use the converter below for any other amount, or check the quick-reference table.
By Andrew Flores, Editor and publisher, Nathan Management. Last reviewed .
Density source: USDA FoodData Central, cross-checked against the King Arthur Baking weight chart. How these figures are derived and corrected is documented in our editorial standards.
Baking Powder baseline: 1 cup = 192 g.
Common amounts
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams | Ounces (weight) | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4.0 | 48 g | 1.69 oz | 59 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5.3 | 64 g | 2.26 oz | 79 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8.0 | 96 g | 3.39 oz | 118 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 10.7 | 128 g | 4.52 oz | 158 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12.0 | 144 g | 5.08 oz | 177 mL |
| 1 cup | 16.0 | 192 g | 6.77 oz | 237 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 24.0 | 288 g | 10.16 oz | 355 mL |
| 2 cups | 32.0 | 384 g | 13.55 oz | 473 mL |
| 3 cups | 48.0 | 576 g | 20.32 oz | 710 mL |
| 4 cups | 64.0 | 768 g | 27.09 oz | 946 mL |
Spoon weights
Derived from the same 192 g per cup — a US tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup and a teaspoon is 1/48.
| Amount | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 12 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.0 g |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.0 g |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.0 g |
Baking Powder at a glance
- Working dose
- 1 teaspoon (about 4 g) per cup of flour
- Shelf life
- 6–12 months after opening; the acids absorb humidity and spend themselves in the can
- Freshness test
- 1 teaspoon into 1/2 cup hot water — it should foam hard immediately
What a cup of baking powder actually weighs
The published 192 g assumes one specific way of filling the cup. Here is what the same cup weighs under the other common handling methods and product forms, and how far off the recipe you end up.
| How it was measured | Grams per cup | vs. published | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spooned and leveled | 192 g | published figure | Listed for completeness. In practice this is a teaspoon ingredient: 1 teaspoon is about 4 g. |
Why measuring baking powder by cup goes wrong
Baking powder is a chemical leavener that combines baking soda with one or two dry acids plus a starch buffer. Double-acting powder reacts twice — once when it meets liquid, once when it hits oven heat. A cup weighs about 192 grams, but you'll never measure a cup; the working unit is the teaspoon, at about 4 grams.
Practical tips for working with baking powder
The baseline ratio is 1 teaspoon of baking powder per 1 cup of flour in a quick bread, biscuit, or muffin. Doubling the powder doesn't double the lift — it just leaves a metallic, soapy aftertaste and can make a cake rise fast and then collapse. Baking powder loses potency over time; test an old can by dropping a teaspoon into hot water. If it doesn't fizz aggressively within seconds, it's tired.
Note from this ingredient's record: Rarely measured by the cup — listed for completeness. Use 1 teaspoon (4 g) per cup of flour as a baseline for biscuits and quick breads.
Substitutions that work — and what they cost you
Make it from soda and cream of tartar
Ratio: 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Trade-off: Single-acting — it starts reacting the moment it is wet, so get the batter into the oven immediately.
Baking soda plus an acid already in the recipe
Ratio: 1/4 teaspoon soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream replaces 1 teaspoon powder
Trade-off: You must remove an equal volume of other liquid, and the acid has to be in the batter, not just nearby.
When baking powder ruins the recipe
| What you see | What went wrong | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Muffins rose beautifully then sank in the middle | Too much leavener — the crumb inflated faster than it could set, then collapsed. | Hold to 1 teaspoon per cup of flour. More powder is not more rise. |
| Baked goods taste metallic or soapy | Excess baking powder, or an aluminium-based powder in a delicate batter. | Measure level, not heaped, and use an aluminium-free powder if you can taste it. |
Storing baking powder
Sealed, dry, and dated on the can with a marker the day you open it. Humidity is what kills it — never dip a wet spoon into the can.
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