Last Updated on March 23, 2022 by Anne-Marie
Here are some tips on how to measure flour for the best results in your everyday baking.
Flour is a key ingredient in baking from scratch. One of the common baking mistakes is not measuring ingredients correctly.
I find that many people cannot measure the correct amount of flour for accurate baking.
So often, readers comment that a muffin recipe or coffee cake didn’t turn out.
My readers tell me the batter was too dry because of extra flour. Or the batter was gooey and took much longer to bake than the directions indicated.
My guess is that they didn’t measure their ingredients correctly. Especially the flour!
Here are my best tips on how to measure flour correctly to avoid basic baking errors and have a better baking outcome.
How to measure flour without a scale
This is called the sweep method, the scoop-and-level method, or the spoon-and-sweep method.
Don’t scoop the flour directly out of the bag or storage container with a measuring cup. It packs down the flour, and you end up with excess flour.
Too much flour means your baked goods come out too dry.
Instead, do this:
1. Spoon flour from the flour container or bag into your measuring cup.
2. Then, use the back of a spatula or the straight edge of a knife to level off the top of the cup.
This way, the cup of flour isn’t packed down.
What kind of measuring cups should you use?
Not all measuring cups are alike, especially those cute decorative ones.
Don’t use a coffee cup either. (Do people actually do that?)
Several top food bloggers and cookbook author friends recommend the Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set.
That’s what I use for cup measurements. These are considered super accurate.
Looking for a liquid measuring cup? I like Pyrex glass measuring cups.
Use these for anything you’re measuring in fluid ounces, from water to corn syrup.
When to use the spoon-and-sweep method
Use this method with other dry ingredients like:
- brown sugar
- baking soda
- baking powder
- powdered sugar
- granulated sugar
- and so on for accurate measurements.
I also like using the sweep method for thick and gooey substances like peanut butter, softened cream cheese, and sour cream.
You can also use it for baking ingredients like sprinkles and chocolate chips.
Measure any type of flour this way:
- bread flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- white flour
- oat flour
- gluten-free all-purpose flour
- wheat flour
- chickpea flour
- almond flour
- brown rice flour
(One cup of all-purpose flour weighs 125 grams or 4.4 ounces.)
How to weigh your flour with a kitchen scale
The best way to measure your flour is to weigh it on a kitchen digital scale.
To measure flour or other dry ingredients:
1. Place a small bowl on the kitchen scale.
2. Set the scale for grams.
3. Zero the tare.
4. Spoon the flour from the flour container or bag.
You may never go back once you start weighing your flour by volume! No more dry measuring cups to wash. And forget about searching for a clean butter knife or dinner knife.
How to convert cups of flour to grams
Different types of flour require different accurate measuring. Grams of flour will depend on the recipe.
| Flour | 1/4 Cup | 1/3 Cup | 1/2 Cup | 2/3 Cup | 3/4 Cup | 1 Cup |
| All Purpose Flour | 30g | 45g | 60g | 85g | 95g | 125g |
| Whole Wheat Flour | 30g | 40g | 60g | 80g | 90g | 120g |
| Cake Flour | 35g | 45g | 70g | 90g | 100g | 140g |
| Self Rising Flour | 30g | 45g | 60g | 85g | 95g | 125g |
What kind of cooking scale should I use?
I bought an Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale.
It’s a basic baking scale that’s easy to use and very inexpensive to buy.
Do you need to sift the flour?
Only sift the flour if the recipe calls for it. Then weigh out or use the scoop-and-level method to measure the flour as directed.
Sifting flour makes for a lighter baking recipe. So it’s often called for in cake baking projects.
Are you going to up your baking game by weighing your flour and adding a scale to your baking supplies?