1/2 Cup Cake Flour in Grams

1/2 cup of cake flour weighs 60 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). A full cup weighs 120 g, so the half cup is exactly half of that. Very finely milled, low-protein flour that gives cakes a tender, fine crumb. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the King Arthur Baking value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.

Why weighing cake flour beats measuring it in cups

Half a cup of cake flour weighs 60 g, and that measure is the heart of delicate baking: a small sponge cake, a batch of cupcakes, a chiffon cake for two, or a recipe scaled down for a single layer. Cake flour is very finely milled and low in protein, which gives cakes a tender, fine crumb, and that fineness is why the weight matters so much. A small error in cake flour changes the crumb from tender to tough, because the flour is the structure of the cake and there is very little of it in a small recipe.

The sifted question is the detail that catches bakers out with cake flour. King Arthur lists 120 g per cup, but finely milled cake flour is sometimes quoted at 100 g per cup when sifted, which would make a half cup 50 g instead of 60 g. That 10 g difference is a sixth of the flour in a small cake, and it changes the crumb noticeably. The rule is simple: if a recipe calls for sifted flour, sift it first and then measure, and if it calls for flour measured and then sifted, measure first. This page uses the King Arthur spooned-and-levelled value of 60 g per half cup for unsifted flour.

Cake Flour cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/8 cup 15 g 2
1/4 cup 30 g 4
1/3 cup 40 g 5.3
1/2 cup 60 g 8
2/3 cup 80 g 10.7
3/4 cup 90 g 12
1 cup 120 g 16
1 1/2 cups 180 g 24
2 cups 240 g 32
3 cups 360 g 48

The table is built around the half cup, which is the measure this page is about, with the full-cup weight of 120 g as the anchor. Every row is the full-cup weight multiplied by the fraction, so the numbers stay consistent as you scale up or down. One tablespoon of cake flour weighs about 7.5 g, which is useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup.

Worked examples

A small sponge cake for two

A small sponge cake for two people uses about 1/2 cup of cake flour, which is 60 g, sifted with baking powder and folded into beaten eggs and sugar. Weigh 60 g rather than measuring by cups, because cake flour is so fine that it compresses easily and a scooped half cup can be 10 g heavy. Sift the flour before folding it in, so the cake stays light and the crumb is even.

Cupcakes for a small party

A batch of 6 cupcakes uses about 1/2 cup of cake flour, which is 60 g, creamed with butter and sugar and mixed with an egg and milk. Weigh the flour so the cupcakes are tender rather than tough: cake flour is low in protein, and the tenderness depends on getting the amount right. Fill the cases two-thirds full and bake until a skewer comes out clean.

A chiffon cake for a celebration

A small chiffon cake uses about 1/2 cup of cake flour, which is 60 g, sifted with sugar and baking powder and folded into whipped egg whites. Weigh 60 g and sift the flour twice, because chiffon depends on air, and lumps of flour will deflate the egg whites. The cake will be light, airy and delicately flavoured if the flour is right.

How the weight was measured

How you fill the cup decides what the cup weighs. The method used here is spooned and levelled: the ingredient is spooned into the cup and levelled with a straight edge, never scooped and never tapped down. If you scoop, you compress the ingredient and the same cup can weigh noticeably more, which is the single most common reason a recipe that worked for its author fails in another kitchen.

The value is taken from King Arthur Baking with high confidence. King Arthur Baking is the reference used across this site because its chart is consistent and widely used by recipe developers. No other source was mixed in, and nothing on this page was estimated from a different ingredient. Remember that every conversion on this page is approximate: check the weight on a kitchen scale whenever accuracy matters, and use the table as a guide rather than a guarantee.

King Arthur lists 120 g per cup; finely milled cake flour is sometimes quoted at 100 g per cup when sifted, so spoon and level rather than scooping.

Practical guidance

Store cake flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year, because it absorbs moisture and kitchen smells. Always spoon the flour into the cup and level it, never scoop, because cake flour is so fine that it compresses easily. Sift cake flour before using it in delicate cakes, and remember that sifted flour is lighter per cup: King Arthur lists 120 g per cup unsifted, while sifted cake flour is sometimes quoted at 100 g per cup. If a recipe calls for sifted flour, sift first and then measure. If you do not have a scale, spoon the flour loosely into the half cup and level it, remembering that the 60 g figure is approximate.

Common mistakes with half-cup measures

The most common mistake is treating a half cup as a casual measure. Half a cup of flour is 60 g, and a scooped half cup can easily weigh 70 g or more, which is a 15 percent error in a recipe that may only contain two or three cups of flour in total. Small measures carry the largest relative errors, so weighing matters more, not less, at this size. The second mistake is using a liquid measuring jug for dry flour: the meniscus line is designed for liquids, and flour measured in a jug is almost always over- or under-filled. Use a dry cup, or a scale. The third is assuming every flour weighs the same per half cup: the flours on this page range from about 42 g to about 82 g per half cup, so swapping flours cup for cup without adjusting the weight changes the recipe. Finally, do not pack flour into the half cup to make it look full: spoon and level, every time.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1/2 cup of cake flour?

1/2 cup of cake flour weighs 60 g when spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. The figure is approximate, because sifted cake flour is sometimes quoted at 100 g per cup, which would make a half cup 50 g. This page uses the King Arthur spooned-and-levelled value for unsifted flour.

Should I sift cake flour before measuring?

It depends on the recipe. If the recipe says sifted flour, sift it first and then measure, because sifted flour is lighter per cup. If it says flour, sifted, measure first and then sift. The two orders give different weights, so follow the recipe exactly.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

Yes, with an adjustment: replace 1 cup of cake flour with 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Weigh the flour rather than measuring by volume, because the two flours weigh the same per cup but behave differently.

Why is my sponge cake tough?

Often because the flour was scooped rather than spooned and levelled, so the cake had too much flour, or because the batter was over-mixed and the gluten developed. Weigh 60 g per half cup, sift the flour, and fold gently.

How many cups is 100 g of cake flour?

100 g of cake flour is about 0.83 cups, or roughly 3/4 cup plus a tablespoon. At 120 g per cup, divide 100 by 120 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

Related conversions

If you need a different amount, the table above scales in both directions, and the converter tool will do the maths for any quantity. When a recipe really matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale rather than trusting the cup alone, because the figures on this page are approximate and natural ingredients vary by brand, variety and moisture.