1 Cup Caster Sugar in Millilitres
1 cup of caster sugar is 236.6 ml and weighs 190 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Fine-grained white sugar that dissolves faster than granulated sugar. 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.
Sweeteners are where cup measurements cause the most trouble, because a cup of one sugar can weigh almost twice as much as a cup of another. The volume is always the same — 236.6 ml — but the weight depends entirely on crystal size, moisture and how the cup was filled. That is why this page gives you both numbers: the millilitres for your jug and the grams for your scale.
Why millilitres and grams are two different answers
The reason this page lists two numbers for every amount is that a cup is a unit of volume, not of weight. One US cup holds 236.6 ml of anything, but what that space weighs depends on what fills it. Granulated sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar all occupy the same 236.6 ml, yet their weights differ by up to 100 g per cup. Packing changes the answer further: a packed cup of brown sugar weighs far more than a loosely filled one. That is why serious bakers weigh sweeteners. The millilitre column tells you what to pour into a jug; the gram column tells you what to put on a scale. Use the one that matches your recipe, and when the recipe matters, use grams.
Caster Sugar cups to millilitres conversion table
| Cups | Millilitres | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 59.1 ml | 47.5 g | 4 tbsp |
| 1/3 cup | 78.9 ml | 63.3 g | 5.3 tbsp |
| 1/2 cup | 118.3 ml | 95 g | 8 tbsp |
| 2/3 cup | 157.7 ml | 126.7 g | 10.7 tbsp |
| 3/4 cup | 177.4 ml | 142.5 g | 12 tbsp |
| 1 cup | 236.6 ml | 190 g | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cups | 473.2 ml | 380 g | 32 tbsp |
| 3 cups | 709.8 ml | 570 g | 48 tbsp |
| 4 cups | 946.4 ml | 760 g | 64 tbsp |
The table covers the amounts recipes actually ask for, from a quarter cup up to four cups. One tablespoon of caster sugar is about 11.9 g and 14.8 ml, which is handy when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup: divide the cup weight by 16 and you have the tablespoon weight. Remember that the millilitre column never changes — 1 cup is always 236.6 ml — while the gram column depends on the King Arthur Baking density of 190 g per cup, measured spooned and levelled. If your recipe was written in grams, read the gram column; if it was written in cups or millilitres, read the millilitre column.
How much is 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml of caster sugar?
| Millilitres | Cups | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ml | 0.4 cups | 80.3 g |
| 250 ml | 1.1 cups | 200.8 g |
| 500 ml | 2.1 cups | 401.5 g |
Recipes written in metric units often call for round millilitre amounts rather than cups, so this table bridges the two. 250 ml of caster sugar is just over a cup — 1.1 cups — and weighs 200.8 g, while 500 ml is 2.1 cups and 401.5 g. A standard measuring jug usually has both millilitre and cup markings, so you can pour to either scale, but the gram column is the one to use on a scale. Note that 100 ml is 0.4 of a cup, which is why metric recipes rarely line up neatly with cup measures.
Worked examples
Meringues calling for 2 cups of caster sugar
A meringues recipe that calls for 2 cups of caster sugar needs 473.2 ml, which weighs 380 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 473.2 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 380 g straight into the bowl. Because caster sugar is used for meringues, cocktails, shortbread and custards. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 380 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Cocktails calling for half a cup of caster sugar
A cocktails recipe that calls for half a cup of caster sugar needs 118.3 ml, which weighs 95 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 118.3 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 95 g straight into the bowl. Because caster sugar is used for meringues, cocktails, shortbread and custards. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 95 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Shortbread calling for 3 cups of caster sugar
A shortbread recipe that calls for 3 cups of caster sugar needs 709.8 ml, which weighs 570 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 709.8 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 570 g straight into the bowl. Because caster sugar is used for meringues, cocktails, shortbread and custards. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 570 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Scaling works the same way in both directions. Double the recipe and 3 cups becomes 1419.6 ml, or 1140 g. Halve it and you need 354.9 ml, or 285 g. When you scale, always scale by weight if the original recipe was written in grams, and by volume if it was written in cups — mixing the two mid-recipe is how scaling errors creep in. And remember that a US cup is 236.6 ml, while a metric cup is 250 ml: if you are following a recipe from Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, one cup means 250 ml, which is 200.8 g of caster sugar, not 190 g. Check which cup your recipe uses before you convert.
How the weight was measured
Spooned and levelled means the ingredient is spooned loosely into the measuring cup and the top is swept flat with a straight knife. The ingredient is never scooped with the cup itself and never pressed down, because both of those habits pack extra material into the cup and push the weight up.
The source for the 190 g 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.
The figure is not disputed in the same way as the flour and sugar conversions: King Arthur Baking lists 190 g per cup, and other reliable sources cluster close to it. Small differences of a gram or two between sources are rounding, not disagreement.
Common mistakes with caster sugar
- Scooping instead of spooning. Dipping the cup into the bag packs the sugar and adds grams the recipe did not ask for. Spoon it in and level it off.
- Packing a sugar that should be spooned. Only brown sugar and muscovado are measured packed. Packing granulated or caster sugar over-measures it by a wide margin.
- Measuring syrups in a dry cup. Sticky syrups cling to a dry cup and never fully reach the bowl. Use a liquid jug, or weigh the syrup straight into the bowl.
- Swapping sugars cup for cup. A cup of honey weighs nearly 70 percent more than a cup of granulated sugar. Swap by weight, and adjust the liquid in the recipe, or the bake will be too wet and too sweet.
Storage and handling
Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely. Fine-grained white sugar that dissolves faster than granulated sugar. Keeping caster sugar 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 container 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. caster sugar is used for meringues, cocktails, shortbread and custards. and it is worth keeping a note of the 190 g per cup figure on the container, so the conversion is always to hand.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure caster sugar without a scale?
Spooned and levelled means the ingredient is spooned loosely into the measuring cup and the top is swept flat with a straight knife. The ingredient is never scooped with the cup itself and never pressed down, because both of those habits pack extra material into the cup and push the weight up. That gives the closest result to 190 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 caster sugar weigh the same as water?
No. One cup of caster sugar weighs 190 g, which is lighter than water, which weighs 237 g per cup — 47 g lighter. That is why you cannot convert caster sugar by assuming a millilitre weighs a gram: for water the shortcut works, but for caster sugar it would be off by 47 g per cup, and the error grows with the size of the recipe.
How many cups is 250 ml of caster sugar?
250 ml of caster sugar is 1.1 cups, and it weighs 200.8 g. The table above lists 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml alongside their cup equivalents, so a recipe written in millilitres converts in one step. For anything more precise, weigh the caster sugar on a kitchen scale.
How many millilitres is 1 cup of caster sugar?
1 cup of caster sugar is 236.6 ml. That is the fixed volume of one US customary cup, and it is the same for every ingredient on this site: the cup does not change, only the weight inside it does. If your recipe is from a metric country, note that a metric cup is 250 ml, which is a different measure — check which cup the recipe means before converting.
How many grams is 1 cup of caster sugar?
1 cup of caster sugar weighs 190 g, measured spooned and levelled according to King Arthur Baking. That is the figure the conversion table on this page is built on, and it is the value to use when a recipe gives weights. All the gram figures here are approximate, so when a bake really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Related conversions
Use the cups to millilitres converter or the millilitres to cups converter for instant answers, or the liquid volume converter for other units. For the weight of the same ingredient, see Caster Sugar in grams, 190 g of caster sugar in cups, and caster sugar by the tablespoon. Browse the units hub or the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Other pages in this series: Granulated Sugar in millilitres, Brown Sugar in millilitres. More tools: cups to grams converter and weight converter. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.