1/4 Cup Caster Sugar in Grams
1/4 cup of caster sugar weighs 47.5 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Fine-grained white sugar that dissolves faster than granulated sugar. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the King Arthur Baking value of 190 g per cup, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Why a quarter cup is worth weighing
A quarter cup is a small measure, and small measures are where cup errors hurt most. A 5 g mistake in a full cup of caster sugar is a rounding error; the same 5 g on a quarter cup is a 17 percent swing on 47.5 g, and in a small batch that swing can change the result. Recipes that call for a quarter cup are usually small, precise or both — a mug cake, a glaze, a roux, a single-serve bake — and there is no large batch to absorb the error. Weighing 47.5 g takes five seconds and removes the problem entirely.
Spooned and levelled is the method behind the number, and it matters. Caster Sugar is used for meringues, cocktails, shortbread and custards. That range of uses is part of why the conversion comes up so often: the same ingredient appears in everyday cooking and in precise baking, and the two situations demand different levels of accuracy. Grams cut through all of that: 47.5 g of caster sugar is 47.5 g whatever the brand, the humidity or the size of your measuring cup.
Caster Sugar cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 47.5 g | 4 |
| 1/3 cup | 63.3 g | 5.3 |
| 1/2 cup | 95 g | 8 |
| 2/3 cup | 126.7 g | 10.7 |
| 3/4 cup | 142.5 g | 12 |
| 1 cup | 190 g | 16 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 285 g | 24 |
| 2 cups | 380 g | 32 |
The tablespoon column shows how many tablespoons each amount equals: a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons, and one tablespoon of caster sugar weighs about 11.9 g. A cup is 16 tablespoons, so the numbers in the table are just the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. For small amounts a scale that reads to the gram is far more reliable than a spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one. Read the table from the 1/4-cup row outwards: every other row is a multiple of 47.5 g, so scaling a recipe up or down is simple multiplication.
How the weight was measured
Spooned and levelled means the ingredient is measured the way King Arthur Baking measures it: spooned and levelled. For caster sugar, that gives 190 g per cup, and a quarter of that is 47.5 g. The source for the figure is King Arthur Baking, and the confidence in the value is high. King Arthur Baking publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows it exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup.
There is no serious dispute about this figure: King Arthur Baking lists 190 g per cup, and other reputable charts agree within a gram or two. The variation that remains comes from how the ingredient is measured, not from disagreement about the number itself.
Worked examples
A meringue for two pavlovas
Two small pavlovas need about 1/4 cup of caster sugar whisked into the egg whites — 47.5 g, added a spoonful at a time. Meringue is a ratio recipe: the sugar must dissolve fully into the whites or the finished meringue weeps syrup. Weighing 47.5 g and adding it slowly gives the whites time to take it up, and the pavlovas come out crisp outside and marshmallowy inside.
Sweetening a smoothie for two
A smoothie for two rarely needs added sugar at all, but if the fruit is sharp, 1/4 cup of caster sugar — 47.5 g — is the most you would add, and usually half that is enough. Weighing it, even for a drink, shows how much sugar is actually going in: 47.5 g looks like a small pile in a cup, but it is a lot of sweetness once it dissolves into the blender.
A marinade for a small roast
A marinade for a small roast uses around 1/4 cup of caster sugar — 47.5 g — whisked with soy sauce, garlic and oil. The sugar helps the outside of the meat caramelise, but too much and it burns before the inside is cooked. Weighing 47.5 g keeps the balance right, and because caster sugar is fine-grained white sugar that dissolves faster than granulated sugar. the flavour it adds is worth getting right.
Packed or loose changes everything
For caster sugar, the method in the data is spooned and levelled, and it matters more than the number. Loosely spooned caster sugar weighs noticeably less per cup than caster sugar pressed firmly into the measure, so two cooks following the same recipe can end up with different sweetness if one packs and the other does not. For a quarter cup, the safest route is the scale: 47.5 g is 47.5 g, however the sugar was stored.
Scaling a quarter cup up and down
Once you know that 1/4 cup of caster sugar is 47.5 g, the rest is arithmetic. Half a cup is 95 g, three quarters is 142.5 g, and a full cup is 190 g. Doubling a recipe that calls for 1/4 cup means weighing 95 g; halving it means 23.8 g, which is 2 tablespoons. Writing the recipe in grams at this point is worth doing: the next time you make it, you weigh 47.5 g straight into the bowl and skip the measuring cup altogether. If you are scaling a recipe for a different tin size, convert every ingredient to grams first and then multiply — scaling by volume compounds the error on every ingredient at once, while scaling by weight keeps each one exact.
Common mistakes with caster sugar
- Packing when the recipe says spooned. Brown sugar is packed, but caster sugar is spooned and levelled. Packing a spooned sugar adds grams the recipe did not ask for.
- Measuring sticky sugar in a dry cup. Sticky sugars cling to the cup and leave some behind. Weigh 47.5 g straight into the bowl instead.
- Swapping sugars cup for cup. Different sugars weigh different amounts per cup — caster sugar is 190 g per cup, and another sugar may be far lighter or heavier. Convert by weight, not by volume.
- Forgetting that sugar is also liquid. Liquid sugars like syrups and honey add moisture as well as sweetness. Swapping them for a dry sugar changes the batter, not just the taste.
Storage and handling
Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely. Keeping caster sugar stored properly also keeps its weight per cup stable: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, so a sealed container is not just about freshness, it is about measurement accuracy too. If a bag has been open for months in a humid kitchen, the first thing to do before a precise bake is to weigh the ingredient rather than trusting the cup. Label the container with the conversion — 1/4 cup is 47.5 g — and the next person to bake with it will thank you.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1/4 cup of caster sugar?
1/4 cup of caster sugar weighs 47.5 g, measured spooned and levelled according to King Arthur Baking. That is one quarter of the full-cup weight of 190 g, and it is the figure to use when converting a recipe from cups to grams. All the figures on this page are approximate, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Can I use the same conversion for a different brand of caster sugar?
Yes, as a starting point. The 47.5 g figure is a standard average for caster sugar, and most brands sit within a few grams of it. If you bake with one brand all the time, weigh a quarter cup of it once and note the number on the bag, and you will have a conversion tuned to your own kitchen.
How do I measure 1/4 cup of caster sugar without a scale?
Caster Sugar is measured spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. Spooned and levelled it into a 1/4-cup measure, level the top with the back of a knife, and you will be close to 47.5 g. That is the best you can do without a scale — but be honest with yourself that it is an estimate. A basic digital kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good flour and removes the guesswork from every recipe, not just this one.
What is caster sugar used for?
Meringues, cocktails, shortbread and custards. Fine-grained white sugar that dissolves faster than granulated sugar. A quarter cup — 47.5 g — is a common amount in small batches, glazes, sauces and test bakes, which is why this conversion comes up so often.
How should I store caster sugar?
Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely. Good storage keeps the ingredient fresh and keeps its weight per cup consistent, because moisture absorbed from the air adds grams that the recipe did not ask for.
Related conversions
Use the cups to grams converter sugar substitute converter recipe scaler for instant answers, or browse the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Related pages: 1 cup of caster sugar in grams, 1/2 cup of caster sugar in grams, 1/4 cup of coconut sugar in grams, 1/4 cup of muscovado sugar in grams. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.