Is 8 Ounces Really 1 Cup? the Recipe-Ruining Mistake Most Home Bakers Make

Is is 8 Ounces Really 1 Cup? the Recipe-Ruining Mistake Most Home Bakers Make something you want to understand? Find out the full story in our feature story.

To master volume versus weight, cooks need a working conversion baseline. A functional baking conversion chart highlights the massive weight variance between equal 1-cup volumes of standard pantry staples:

• Granulated White Sugar: 1 cup = 7.1 oz (200 g)
• Brown Sugar (Packed): 1 cup = 7.75 oz (220 g)
• Powdered Confectioners' Sugar: 1 cup = 4.25 oz (120 g)
• Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks) = 8.0 oz (227 g)
• Rolled Oats: 1 cup = 3.2 oz (90 g)
• Whole Milk / Water: 1 cup = 8.6 oz (242 g)
• Vegetable Oil: 1 cup = 7.7 oz (218 g)

Notice that unsalted butter is one of the rare non-water ingredients where volume and weight genuinely track: one stick equals 4 ounces (half a cup), and two sticks equal eight ounces (one full cup). Assuming that convenience applies to flour or sugar, however, invites recipe disaster.