2 Cups Vegetable Shortening in Grams
368 g — that is what 2 cups of vegetable shortening weighs, scooped, per King Arthur Baking. It sounds like a small detail, but in baking and in any recipe written in grams, it is the detail that decides whether the result matches the recipe writer's kitchen. Cups are convenient and grams are accurate, and this page bridges the two for vegetable shortening with a full table, practical examples, and the method notes that make the number trustworthy. Treat every figure here as approximate and check it against a scale when the stakes are high.
Why this number is worth knowing
Vegetable Shortening shows up in recipes written both ways — cups in American cookbooks, grams in European ones — and translating between them is where most kitchen errors happen. Knowing that 2 cups of vegetable shortening is about 368 g means you can follow either kind of recipe without converting on the fly, and you can scale a recipe up or down without the rounding errors that creep in when you convert cup by cup. It also means you can compare recipes: if two recipes for the same dish call for very different amounts of vegetable shortening, the gram weights make the difference obvious in a way cups never do. Keep the table below bookmarked and the conversion becomes second nature.
Vegetable Shortening cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 46 g | 2.9 g |
| 1/3 cup | 61.3 g | 3.8 g |
| 1/2 cup | 92 g | 5.8 g |
| 2/3 cup | 122.7 g | 7.7 g |
| 3/4 cup | 138 g | 8.6 g |
| 1 cup | 184 g | 11.5 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 276 g | 17.2 g |
| 2 cups | 368 g | 23 g |
| 3 cups | 552 g | 34.5 g |
| 4 cups | 736 g | 46 g |
The tablespoon column is a bonus for recipes that call for a spoonful or two: one tablespoon of vegetable shortening weighs about 11.5 g. Remember that a cup is 16 tablespoons, so the numbers in the table are just the cup weight divided by 16, rounded sensibly. 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.
How the weight was measured
Scooped means the ingredient was measured the way King Arthur Baking measures it: scooped with the measuring cup, which is the standard method for this ingredient because it is sold and used in solid form. Level the top with a knife for consistency. The source for the 184 g per cup 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.
Worked examples
A double batch of cookies
Cookies are sensitive to the fat ratio: it controls spread, chew, and crispness. Doubling a recipe that uses 1 cup of vegetable shortening means 2 cups, or 368 g. Melted fat spreads more than softened fat, so weigh it in the state the recipe specifies — softened, melted, or cold and cubed — and the doubled batch will match the original.
Roasting vegetables for a dinner party
Roasting a large tray of vegetables with 2 cups of vegetable shortening needs 368 g drizzled over the top. Weighing the oil stops you from drowning the vegetables (soggy) or starving them (dry and burnt at the edges). Toss, spread in a single layer, and roast hot.
A cake that swaps butter for oil
Some cakes use oil instead of butter for a moist crumb. If the recipe calls for 2 cups of vegetable shortening, weigh 368 g and pour it in. Oil cakes mix fast — no creaming step — so the weighing is the only precision step in the whole recipe, and it is worth doing properly.
How accurate is this conversion?
The figure on this page — 368 g for 2 cups of vegetable shortening — is approximate, and it is honest to say so. The source value is 184 g per cup, scooped, from King Arthur Baking, and the confidence in that value is high. Real kitchens vary: the same ingredient from a different brand, a different grind, or a different storage history can weigh a few grams more or less per cup. For everyday cooking that variation does not matter. For baking, where a few grams can change the outcome, it does — which is why the advice on this page is always the same: use the table for planning and converting, and verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters. The scale is the only measuring tool that measures what is actually in the bowl.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 2 cups of vegetable shortening?
2 cups of vegetable shortening weighs approximately 368 g, measured scooped. The figure comes from the King Arthur Baking value of 184 g per cup. All weights on this page are approximate — verify with a kitchen scale when precision matters.
Does the brand of vegetable shortening change the weight?
It can, by a few grams per cup. Different brands mill, grind or process vegetable shortening slightly differently, and moisture content varies with storage. The King Arthur Baking value of 184 g per cup is a standard reference, not a measurement of your specific packet — another reason to verify with a scale for important recipes.
What is the easiest way to weigh 2 cups of vegetable shortening?
Put your mixing bowl on a digital scale, press tare to zero it, and pour or spoon in vegetable shortening until the display reads 368 g. Add other dry ingredients on top, taring between each one, and you can measure a whole recipe in one bowl with no extra washing up.
Can I halve or double this amount?
Yes. Half of 2 cups of vegetable shortening is 184 g, and double is 736 g. Weighing makes scaling exact, whereas halving or doubling cups compounds measuring error. Scale the vegetable shortening by weight and adjust leavening and seasoning by taste rather than by a straight multiple.
How should I store vegetable shortening?
Cool, dry cupboard, up to 1 year after opening. Keeping it sealed and dry also keeps the cup weight close to the 184 g per cup value used on this page.
The secret to flaky pastry with shortening
Vegetable shortening earned its place in the kitchen for one reason: flaky pastry. At 368 g for 2 cups, it is lighter per cup than butter, and because it contains no water, it creates distinct layers in a pie crust instead of blending into the dough. The technique is simple but strict. Keep the shortening cold — cut it into the flour while it is firm from the fridge, and work fast so the heat of your hands does not melt it. The pieces of fat should stay visible, roughly the size of peas, because those pieces become the pockets of steam that lift the layers in the oven. Add iced water a spoonful at a time, just until the dough holds together, and then stop: overworking develops gluten and makes the crust tough. Rest the dough in the fridge for at least half an hour before rolling, and roll it on a cold surface. Shortening pastry has a plainer flavour than butter pastry, which is why many bakers use half shortening and half butter — the shortening gives the flake, the butter gives the taste.