192 g of baking powder is 1 cup. Baking powder is lighter than baking soda per cup because it contains cream of tartar and cornstarch alongside the soda, which bulk it out. Like baking soda, it is never measured by the cup in real cooking: the useful numbers are one teaspoon at 4 g and one tablespoon at 12 g. This page gives the cup figure for completeness and because it is the basis for those spoon weights.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Baking soda plus cream of tartar; double-acting, needs only moisture and heat. Leavening cakes, pancakes and quick breads.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Conversion table
| Cups | Grams of baking powder |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 48 g |
| 1/3 cup | 64 g |
| 1/2 cup | 96 g |
| 2/3 cup | 128 g |
| 3/4 cup | 144 g |
| 1 cup | 192 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 288 g |
| 2 cups | 384 g |
| 3 cups | 576 g |
| 4 cups | 768 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of baking powder is about 0.52 cups, and 50 g is about 0.26 cups. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
A sponge cake that must rise evenly
A sponge cake recipe uses 8 g of baking powder, about 2 teaspoons, for a cake that serves eight. Baking powder is double-acting, which means it reacts once when it meets liquid and again when it meets the heat of the oven. That second reaction is why the cake rises evenly rather than all at once, and why you should get the cake into the oven promptly after mixing.
Pancakes without buttermilk
A pancake recipe made with plain milk uses 12 g of baking powder, one tablespoon, because there is no acid in the batter to activate baking soda. The powder supplies its own acid, so it works in any batter. The pancakes will be thick and fluffy, and the powder leaves no aftertaste when measured correctly.
Scones for afternoon tea
A scone recipe calls for 16 g of baking powder, about 4 teaspoons, for a batch of eight scones. Scones use a lot of leavening because they are a quick bread with no yeast and no time to rise. Rub the butter into the flour first, then add the powder with the flour so it is evenly distributed before the milk goes in.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Dry powders and leavening agents are measured spooned and levelled, never heaped and never scooped from the container. A heaped tablespoon of baking soda can be double the intended amount, and that much extra leavening leaves a soapy, metallic taste and a collapsed crumb. Dip a dry spoon into the container, fill it, then level it with the back of a knife. Keep leavening in airtight containers away from humidity, and replace baking powder every six months once opened, because stale powder is the most common silent cause of flat cakes.
Scaling is straightforward once you know the cup weight. Doubling a recipe that calls for 192 g of baking powder means measuring 384 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 576 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 96 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. A cake scaled by half still needs half the flour, half the sugar, half the butter and half the baking powder, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the baking powder rather than trying to measure two thirds of a cup in a jug, because the jug markings are not precise enough for fractions of a cup.
When should you weigh baking powder instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the baking powder until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months once opened.
- Level every spoon and do not heap it.
- Test old baking powder in hot water before baking.
- Get batters into the oven promptly after mixing.
Frequently asked questions
How much baking powder is in a teaspoon?
One level teaspoon of baking powder weighs about 4 g, and one tablespoon is 12 g. These are the figures to use in practice, since baking powder is almost always measured in teaspoons.
What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and needs an acid to work. Baking powder is baking soda plus cream of tartar, an acid, plus cornstarch to keep it dry. Baking powder works in any batter; baking soda only works in acidic batters.
Can I make baking powder from baking soda?
Yes, in a pinch: mix one part baking soda with two parts cream of tartar. That gives you a single-acting powder that works immediately, so get the batter into the oven quickly. It is a useful emergency substitute, but commercial double-acting powder is more reliable.
Does baking powder expire?
Yes. Once opened, it loses strength within about six months, especially in a humid kitchen. Test it by dropping half a teaspoon into hot water: it should fizz energetically. If it barely reacts, the cakes will not rise.
What happens if I use too much baking powder?
The bake rises fast and then collapses, leaving a coarse, crumbly texture and a bitter, chemical taste. Too much baking powder is worse than too little, so measure it level and resist the urge to add an extra pinch for luck.
Keeping a conversion note in the kitchen: if you cook from American recipes often, write the gram weights of the ingredients you use most on a card and stick it inside a cupboard door. A short list covering flour, sugar, butter, milk and oil will handle most recipes, and it saves you looking up the same number every time. Update the card when you buy a new ingredient, and note the method next to the weight, because a number without a method is only half a conversion.