120 Grams Cake Flour in Cups
120 g of cake flour is 1 cup (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). 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 grams to cups matters for cake flour
Most of the world's recipes are written in grams, and this page is the bridge back to cups for cooks who measure by volume. Flour is the ingredient where cup measurements fail most often, and the reason is packing. The same cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 g to 142 g depending on whether you scoop it straight from the bag or spoon it in lightly, and that 20 g swing is the difference between a tender cake and a dry one. In a loaf of bread the error is more forgiving, because bread dough can be adjusted by feel, but in a cake or a batch of cookies there is no second chance once the batter is mixed. Weighing flour is the single highest-value habit a home baker can adopt, and it costs nothing more than a basic kitchen scale.
Very finely milled, low-protein flour that gives cakes a tender, fine crumb. It is used for sponge cakes, chiffon and delicate layer cakes. That is why the question comes up so often: a recipe from a European cookbook, a video, or a friend abroad gives you grams, and your kitchen is set up for cups.
Cake Flour grams to cups conversion table
| Grams | Cups (decimal) | Nearest measure |
|---|---|---|
| 30 g | 0.25 cups | 1/4 cup |
| 60 g | 0.5 cups | 1/2 cup |
| 90 g | 0.75 cups | 3/4 cup |
| 120 g | 1 cups | 1 cup |
| 120 g | 1 cups | 1 cup |
| 180 g | 1.5 cups | 1 1/2 cups |
| 240 g | 2 cups | 2 cups |
| 250 g | 2.08 cups | 2 cups |
| 300 g | 2.5 cups | 2 1/2 cups |
| 360 g | 3 cups | 3 cups |
| 480 g | 4 cups | 4 cups |
| 500 g | 4.17 cups | 4 cups |
The decimal column is exact arithmetic from the 120 g per cup figure, while the nearest-measure column is what you would actually reach for in the kitchen. A value like 0.42 cups is not a useful instruction, so the table rounds it to the nearest practical measure, and the worked examples below show how to handle the in-between amounts without a calculator.
How the weight was measured
Spooned and levelled means spooning the ingredient into the measuring cup until it is heaped, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop the cup through the bag or jar, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight.
The source for the 120 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. There is a dispute worth knowing about. 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. Use the table above, which follows the same source, and your conversions will be consistent with the recipes on this site.
Worked examples
A recipe that calls for 250 g of cake flour
250 g divided by 120 g per cup is 2.08 cups, which is 2 cups. In practice that means a full cup plus a generous extra scoop, and the easiest way to get it right is to weigh 250 g on the scale rather than trying to measure 2.08 cups by volume. If you must use cups, measure 1 cup properly and then add about 130 g, which is roughly 1 cup.
A scale reading of 60 g
60 g of cake flour is 0.5 cups, or about 1/2 cup. This is the situation that comes up when you are following a recipe that gives some ingredients in grams and some in cups, or when you have weighed out a small amount for a sauce or a topping. Knowing that 60 g is 1/2 cup lets you skip the maths and get on with cooking.
Doubling a recipe written in grams
A recipe that uses 180 g of cake flour needs 1.5 cups, which is 1 1/2 cups. Doubling it means 360 g, or 3 cups, which is 3 cups. When you double by weight the ratio stays exact, which is the whole point of converting to grams in the first place: doubling cups by eye doubles the measuring error too.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most in baking, where flour is the structure of the recipe. In a yeast bread the effect of an extra 20 g is small, because the dough can be adjusted, but in a cake, a sponge or a batch of macarons the same error can be the difference between success and failure. It also matters when you are following a recipe from another country: most of the world bakes in grams, and a cup measure is an American habit. Converting to grams lets you use any recipe, from any source, with the same confidence.
Common mistakes with cake flour
- Scooping straight from the bag. Pushing the cup into the bag compresses the flour and can add 20 g or more per cup. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife instead.
- Skipping the scale for cakes. Cakes and delicate batters have no room for a 20 g error. If you own a scale, weigh the flour even when the recipe gives cups.
- Measuring sifted flour the same as unsifted. Sifting adds air and lightens flour, so a cup of sifted flour weighs less than a cup of unsifted flour. Measure before sifting unless the recipe says otherwise.
- Using a liquid measuring jug for flour. Jugs are for pouring, and you cannot level flour in one. Use a dry measuring cup or, better, a scale.
Storage and handling
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year. Keeping cake flour 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.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 120 g of cake flour?
120 g of cake flour is exactly 1 cup, measured spooned and levelled according to King Arthur Baking. That is the anchor for the whole table on this page: every other row is that figure divided or multiplied.
How many cups is 100 g of cake flour?
100 g of cake flour is 0.83 cups, which is closest to 3/4 cup. For a recipe that asks for 100 g, weighing is the honest answer, because 0.83 cups is not a measure any cup set offers, and estimating it by eye can be off by 10 g or more.
How do I measure cake flour without a scale?
Spooned and levelled means spooning the ingredient into the measuring cup until it is heaped, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop the cup through the bag or jar, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight. That gives the closest result to 120 g per cup, but it is still an estimate: the honest answer is that a scale is the only way to know the exact weight, and a basic digital kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good flour.
Does cake flour always weigh the same per cup?
No. Brand, grind, moisture and how settled the container is all shift the weight by a few grams, and for flour the swing can be 20 g or more. The 120 g figure is the standard King Arthur Baking value for cake flour measured spooned and levelled, and it is the right default, but when a recipe is precise, weigh the ingredient and trust the scale over the cup.
Why do different websites give different weights for cake flour?
Because they are measuring different things. 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. A source that scoops will always report a heavier cup than a source that spoons and levels, and both can be correct about their own method. The fix is to pick one source and one method and stick with it for the whole recipe.
How should I store cake flour?
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year. 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.
What is cake flour used for?
Sponge cakes, chiffon and delicate layer cakes. Very finely milled, low-protein flour that gives cakes a tender, fine crumb.
Related conversions
Use the cups to grams converter or the grams to cups converter for instant answers, or browse the grams to cups hub for the full ingredient list. Related pages: All-Purpose Flour in cups to grams, Bread Flour in cups to grams, Whole Wheat Flour in cups to grams, 1 cup of cake flour in grams. More tools: cups to grams converter, grams to cups converter, flour substitute converter, recipe scaler. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.