1 Cup Margarine in Grams
1 cup of margarine weighs 227 g (scooped, King Arthur Baking). Plant-oil spread formulated to behave like butter in baking. 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.
Margarine is a plant-oil spread formulated to behave like butter in baking, and a cup of it weighs 227 g, exactly the same as a cup of butter. That match is deliberate: margarine is made to be a one-to-one replacement for butter by volume, so recipes convert without any adjustment. The differences are in flavour and in water content: margarine has a milder, less rich flavour than butter, and some soft tub margarines contain more water and less fat, which makes them unsuitable for baking. For baking, always use a firm block margarine, not a soft tub spread, and weigh it at 227 g per cup.
Margarine cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 56.8 g | 4 |
| 1/3 cup | 75.7 g | 5.3 |
| 1/2 cup | 113.5 g | 8 |
| 2/3 cup | 151.3 g | 10.7 |
| 3/4 cup | 170.2 g | 12 |
| 1 cup | 227 g | 16 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 340.5 g | 24 |
| 2 cups | 454 g | 32 |
| 3 cups | 681 g | 48 |
| 4 cups | 908 g | 64 |
One tablespoon of margarine weighs about 14.2 g, and a cup is 16 tablespoons, so the tablespoon column is simply the cup weight divided by 16. 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. All the values in this table are approximate, and they assume the ingredient is measured scooped, exactly as the source measured it.
Why a scale beats a cup for margarine
Fats are where cup measurements get genuinely confusing, because the same fat can be solid, soft or liquid depending on temperature, and its weight per cup changes with its state. A cup of butter weighs 227 g, a cup of vegetable shortening only 184 g, and a cup of olive oil 216 g, so swapping fats cup-for-cup is never a straight exchange. Fat carries flavour, creates tenderness, traps air in creamed batters and makes pastry flaky, and each of those jobs depends on how much fat is actually in the bowl. Too little fat and a cake is dry; too much and it is greasy and heavy. Weighing fat removes the guesswork of softened butter, melted butter and oil poured from a bottle, and it is the only reliable way to substitute one fat for another.
Worked examples
A sponge cake with margarine
A sponge cake that calls for 1 cup of margarine needs 227 g, creamed with sugar until pale and fluffy. Block margarine creams well and traps air much like butter, so the cake rises evenly and bakes up light. Soft tub margarine will not cream properly and the cake will be dense, so check the packet: if it spreads straight from the fridge, it is not a baking margarine. Weigh 227 g from a block and the recipe will work as written.
Cookies for a bake sale
A batch of cookies that uses 1/2 cup of margarine needs 113.5 g, creamed with sugar and mixed with flour and chocolate chips. Margarine cookies spread a little more than butter cookies and they stay softer for longer, because margarine has a lower melting point. Weigh the margarine rather than measuring it from the tub, because scooping a soft spread into a cup leaves air pockets and under-measures by a surprising amount.
A buttercream frosting
A buttercream that calls for 2 cups of margarine needs 454 g, beaten with powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. Margarine buttercream is paler and softer than butter buttercream, and it holds up better in warm weather, which is why bakeries use it for cakes that will sit out at a party. Beat it for a full three minutes to get the air in, and add the sugar gradually so the frosting stays smooth.
How the weight was measured
scooped means filling the cup with a spoon rather than plunging the cup into the bag or jar, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight. The difference between a spooned cup and a scooped cup can be 15 to 25 percent, which is enough to change a bake from tender to tough, so the method matters as much as the number. The source for the figure on this page 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 that chart rather than any single cookbook. Where the chart gives a range or a note, we say so plainly instead of hiding the uncertainty. All the figures here are approximate conversions: natural ingredients vary by brand, variety, moisture and how finely they are chopped or ground, so when a recipe really matters, verify the weight with a kitchen scale.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is measuring melted butter in a cup and using it where the recipe expects softened butter. A cup of melted butter and a cup of softened butter weigh the same, but melted butter behaves completely differently in a batter: it cannot trap air, so cakes come out dense. The second mistake is scooping shortening or lard with air pockets left in the cup, which can under-measure by 10 percent or more; press it in firmly and level it. The third is measuring oil in a dry cup instead of a liquid jug, which makes it hard to read the level accurately. And the fourth is swapping fats cup-for-cup without adjusting for weight: a cup of shortening is 43 g lighter than a cup of butter, and that missing fat changes the texture of pastry and frosting.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most in pastry and cakes, where fat is doing structural work. In pie crust and puff pastry, cold fat in the right amount creates the layers that make pastry flaky; too much and the crust is greasy, too little and it is tough. In creamed cakes, the weight of butter determines how much air can be beaten in, and therefore how light the cake is. It matters less in frying or roasting, where the fat is a cooking medium and a little more or less makes no real difference. It matters again when you substitute fats: butter, margarine, shortening and lard all weigh differently per cup, so convert by weight first and the substitution will behave.
What to do if you do not have a scale
If you do not have a scale, butter is the easiest fat to measure without one, because a standard US stick is 113 g, which is half a cup or 8 tablespoons, and the wrapper is marked in tablespoons. For other solid fats, pack them firmly into a dry cup with the back of a spoon, pressing out air pockets, then level the top. For oils, use a liquid measuring jug at eye level and read the bottom of the meniscus. For melted fats, let them cool slightly before measuring so the volume has settled, and remember that a cup of melted fat is the same weight as a cup of solid fat, even though it behaves differently in the recipe.
Storing margarine
Refrigerate; use by the date on the tub. Keeping margarine properly stored matters for the conversion as well as for the flavour: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, and one that has dried out weighs less. Store it in an airtight container, away from heat and light, and measure it in the state the recipe expects, not straight from a damp or stale bag.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use margarine instead of butter in baking?
Yes, in most recipes, provided you use a firm block margarine rather than a soft tub spread. A cup of margarine weighs the same as a cup of butter, 227 g, so the swap is one for one by weight and by volume. The flavour will be milder and less rich than butter, and the texture will be slightly softer, but the recipe will work. Do not use a low-fat spread for baking: it contains too much water and the bake will be soggy.
Does margarine melt the same as butter?
Not quite. Margarine has a lower melting point than butter, so it melts faster and at a lower temperature, which is why margarine cookies spread more and margarine pastry is harder to keep cold. In a recipe that depends on cold fat, such as pie crust, butter is the better choice. In a creamed cake or a soft cookie, margarine behaves very similarly to butter and the difference is hard to notice.
Can I use cups instead of a scale for margarine?
Yes, but a scale is more accurate. If you measure margarine scooped, exactly as the figure on this page was measured, a cup will be close to 227 g, within a few grams. The problem is that most people scoop rather than spoon, which can add 15 to 25 percent to the weight, and that error is enough to change a bake. For everyday cooking, cups are fine. For baking, where the ratio of ingredients decides the result, weigh it and check the number on the scale.
How many tablespoons are in a cup of margarine?
There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup, so a cup of margarine is 16 tablespoons, and one tablespoon weighs about 14.2 g. A teaspoon weighs about 4.7 g. Tablespoons are useful when a recipe calls for a small amount, but they carry the same packing problem as cups: a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one, so level every spoon with the back of a knife, and use a scale for small amounts when accuracy matters.
Does the weight change if I pack or sift margarine?
Scooping matters for margarine because it is a solid fat measured scooped into the cup. Press it in firmly with the back of a spoon so there are no air pockets, then level the top. A cup with air pockets can under-measure by 10 percent or more, which is enough to change the texture of pastry or frosting. If the fat is melted, the weight per cup is the same, but it will behave differently in the recipe, so use the state the recipe calls for.