1 teaspoon of cream of tartar weighs 3 g. A teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, and a cup of cream of tartar is 144 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 144 ÷ 48 = 3 g. The same cup divided by 16 gives the tablespoon weight of 9 g, and there are 3 teaspoons in every tablespoon. If you cook from recipes written in cups and spoons, this page is the bridge between the two, and the worked examples show the conversion inside real dishes rather than in isolation.
Acidic white powder left over from winemaking. It is used for stabilising egg whites, activating baking soda and making baking powder.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from USDA, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Conversion table
One teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, so every figure in this table is the cup weight divided by 48, rounded to two decimal places. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
| Teaspoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 3 g |
| 2 tsp | 6 g |
| 3 tsp | 9 g |
| 4 tsp | 12 g |
| 5 tsp | 15 g |
| 6 tsp | 18 g |
| 7 tsp | 21 g |
| 8 tsp | 24 g |
| 9 tsp | 27 g |
| 10 tsp | 30 g |
| 11 tsp | 33 g |
| 12 tsp | 36 g |
The tablespoon figures are included too, because most recipes switch between teaspoons and tablespoons, and 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon.
| Tablespoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 9 g |
| 2 tbsp | 18 g |
| 3 tbsp | 27 g |
| 4 tbsp | 36 g |
| 5 tbsp | 45 g |
| 6 tbsp | 54 g |
| 7 tbsp | 63 g |
| 8 tbsp | 72 g |
| 9 tbsp | 81 g |
| 10 tbsp | 90 g |
| 11 tbsp | 99 g |
| 12 tbsp | 108 g |
| 13 tbsp | 117 g |
| 14 tbsp | 126 g |
| 15 tbsp | 135 g |
| 16 tbsp | 144 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every tablespoon figure is the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place.
Cups to grams for reference
When a recipe jumps from spoons to cups, use this table instead of counting out 16 tablespoons. Every figure is the cup weight multiplied by the fraction, rounded to one decimal place, and all figures are approximate.
| Cups | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 36 g |
| 1/3 cup | 48 g |
| 1/2 cup | 72 g |
| 2/3 cup | 96 g |
| 3/4 cup | 108 g |
| 1 cup | 144 g |
One cup of cream of tartar weighs 144 g, so a quarter cup is 36 g and half a cup is 72 g. Those two figures cover most everyday scaling, and the full table above covers the rest.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured spooned and levelled. Spoon the cream of tartar into the measuring spoon and level it off with the back of a knife, never scooping from the tin, which packs the powder down and adds weight. A cup of cream of tartar weighs 144 g, which is where the teaspoon figure of 3 g comes from. Leavening is the ingredient where a spoon error costs the most: too little and the bake stays flat, too much and it rises fast, then collapses, and can leave a bitter or soapy taste. Because the amounts are so small, a kitchen scale that reads to a tenth of a gram is worth using whenever the recipe has to work the first time. Keep the tin sealed and dry, because moisture makes the powder clump and a clumpy spoon weighs differently from a free-flowing one.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the spoon, 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. The method matters more than the number itself, because the same spoon of cream of tartar measured two different ways can give two different weights, and the USDA value assumes the spooned and levelled method every time.
Worked examples
A sponge cake for a family tea
A sponge cake that serves eight uses 2 teaspoons (6 g) of cream of tartar, sifted with the flour so it is evenly distributed through the batter. Sifting matters, because a pocket of undissolved cream of tartar leaves a bitter spot and a hole in the crumb. Level each spoon with the back of a knife, and get the cake into the oven promptly, because the reaction starts as soon as the wet and dry ingredients meet.
A batch of muffins, doubled
Doubling a muffin recipe that calls for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar means using 2 teaspoons (6 g), not a heaped spoonful. Leavening does not forgive a rough doubling the way flour does: too much and the muffins rise fast, then sink in the middle and taste soapy. Weigh the cream of tartar on a scale when you double a recipe, because two level spoons are easy to miscount and the error is a large share of the total.
A loaf that needs a lift
A quick bread that uses cream of tartar instead of yeast needs 3 teaspoons (9 g) folded gently into the batter at the very end, and the loaf goes into a hot oven straight away. Stirring too hard after the cream of tartar goes in knocks the gas out of the batter, and the loaf bakes dense no matter how much leavening you used. Fold until the flour just disappears, then stop, and let the oven do the rest.
Practical guidance
Measuring leavening by the spoon
Spoon the cream of tartar into the measure and level it off with the back of a knife, and never scoop from the tin, which packs the powder down and adds weight. Sift it with the flour so it is evenly distributed, because a pocket of undissolved leavening leaves a bitter spot and a hole in the crumb. Get the bake into the oven promptly once the wet and dry ingredients meet, because the reaction starts immediately.
Common mistakes with leavening
The most common mistake is using a heaped spoon, which can make a cake rise fast and then collapse, and leave a bitter or soapy taste. Another is swapping baking soda for baking powder, or the other way round, without adjusting the amount or the acid; they are not interchangeable spoon for spoon. A third is using leavening that has sat open for a year; test baking powder by dropping a spoonful in hot water and looking for fizz, and test baking soda with a drop of vinegar.
Scaling and when to weigh
Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of cream of tartar, count out about 33.3 teaspoons, and for 50 g, about 16.7 teaspoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 teaspoons means using 2 teaspoons, or 6 g, and doubling it means 8 teaspoons, or 24 g. Leavening is the ingredient most worth weighing, because the amounts are small and the consequences are large; a scale that reads to a tenth of a gram removes the biggest source of error in baking.
Storage. Airtight jar, cool and dry, up to 3 years.
- Level every spoon with the back of a knife.
- Use spoons for small amounts, and a scale for large ones.
- Keep the same spoon for the whole recipe so errors stay consistent.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar?
One level teaspoon of cream of tartar weighs approximately 3 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 144 g by 48, and it assumes the ingredient is measured spooned and levelled. All figures on this page are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
How many teaspoons of cream of tartar make 100 g?
About 33.3 teaspoons of cream of tartar weigh 100 g, and about 16.7 teaspoons weigh 50 g. Count out the spoons level, and switch to a scale for large amounts, since counting dozens of spoonfuls invites mistakes.
How many teaspoons of cream of tartar are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar weighs approximately 9 g, which is three times the teaspoon weight of 3 g. Use the tablespoon table on this page when a recipe switches between the two units.
Does a heaped teaspoon of cream of tartar weigh more?
Yes, a heaped teaspoon weighs noticeably more than a level one, and the difference is biggest for light, fluffy ingredients. Always level the spoon with the back of a knife unless the recipe specifically says heaped, because recipes that give spoon measures assume a level spoon.
What happens if I use too much cream of tartar?
Too much cream of tartar makes a bake rise fast and then collapse in the middle, and it can leave a bitter, soapy or metallic taste that no amount of icing hides. Measure with a level spoon, or better, weigh it on a scale, and never add extra for luck.
How should I store cream of tartar?
Airtight jar, cool and dry, up to 3 years. Keeping it stored properly also keeps its weight consistent, since an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or clumped will not weigh the same per spoon as a fresh one.