What’s the difference between an exquisitely airy cake and a dense, heavy one?
Or a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie and a hard, unyielding puck?
The answer often lies in how you measure your ingredients—especially flour.
Accurate measurement is crucial in baking, whether you’re crafting an intricate cake or a simple cookie.
A kitchen scale is the only way to ensure you’re using the exact amount of any ingredient called for in a recipe, particularly flour.
This is because one person’s "cup" of flour can vary significantly from another’s—sometimes by as much as 50%!
HOW YOU FILL THE CUP MATTERS
- Was the cup dipped into a compacted bag of flour and pressed against the side to level it?
- Was it dipped into a canister of loosened flour and shaken level?
- Or was the flour spooned lightly into the cup and then swept level?
- Each method yields a different amount of flour.
- But when everyone uses a scale, 100 grams (or 3 ½ ounces) of flour is the same for everyone, every time.
THE BONUS?
Once you’re familiar with using a scale, you’ll find it simpler and more efficient than using measuring cups. Plus, it reduces the number of utensils you’ll need, leading to less cleanup (win,win).
Despite this, our recipes still include both cup measurements and weights (though we strongly encourage you to get and use a scale).
If you’re sticking with measuring cups, here’s how to measure flour as accurately as possible:
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Use the right “dry” measuring cup. Dry measuring cups come in individual sizes like ¼, 1/3, ½, and 1 cup, designed to be filled above the rim and then leveled off. Those clear glass or plastic cups with markings up the side? They’re for liquids and aren’t accurate for dry ingredients.
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Loosen the flour in the bag by stirring it briefly. Don’t dip the measuring cup directly into the bag. Instead, lightly spoon the flour into the cup until it’s heaped above the rim.
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Without tamping, tapping, or shaking the cup, use a straight edge to sweep the flour level with the rim. And just like that—you’ve got one cup of correctly measured flour!
If you’re serious about improving your baking, a scale is your best friend.
But if you’re not ready to make the switch, following these tips will help you get as close as possible to the intended measurements in your recipes.