Sometimes when I’m not sure about a recipe but want to try it anyway, I scale down the recipe to 50% of the orginal. In those circumstances, I found it very difficult to calculate 50% of 3/4 cup, or to measure 50% of 1.5 tablespoon, etc. Then I found this handy table in my “Baking for Dummies” book. For instance 3/4th of a cup is equal to 12 tablespoons, so half of it would be 6 tablespoons.
| If a recipe calls for this amount | You can also measure it this way |
|---|---|
| Dash | 2 or 3 drops (liquid) or less than 1/8 teaspoon (dry) |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons or 1/2 ounce |
| 2 tablespoons | 1 ounce |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons or 4 ounces |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons or 6 ounces |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons or 8 ounces |
| 1 pint | 2 cups or 16 ounces or 1 pound |
| 1 quart | 4 cups or 2 pints |
| 1 gallon | 4 quarts |
| 1 pound | 16 ounces |
Happy Baking!
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 am
Hello,
You have a nice page.I am also looking for eggless recipes.I am going try the recipes in your page. Will post about how they turned out.The above table is really helpful.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 am
Thanks Anila. Please feel free to try the recipes and post your experience here. It will be helpful for all of us.
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:46 am
Thanks Madhuram. I have so many pages bookmarked for ur recipes
. Will be posting soon 
. Today added this page too in my favourites.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Hi. I liked the eggless choco chip recipe…will surely try it. However can you please tell me how much exactly is 2 sticks of butter? Will appreciate it if you can tell me in the metric system or measurement by Cup. Thanks. Renuka.
Hi Renuka, 2 sticks is 1 cup of butter, 227 gms.
January 6th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Thanks a lot. Renuka.
January 12th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I like cooking and I like your website with their beautiful pictures and am inspired to start baking. When living back in India, my mom used to bake nankattais and cakes. I have tried her nankattai recipe and has come out well. I want to do more.
Could you tell me what all things I would need to begin baking with? Also, tell me some sure-shot failproof recipes? Maybe a beginners baking list would be helpful
Thanks.
SL, for sometime now I have wanted to write a post about a beginner’s guide to baking. So instead of answering here, I’ll write a post very soon, so that it would be helpful for others as well.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hello Madhuram
Can you tell me how deep my 9 inch round pan should be to bake a cake using 1.5 cup whole wheat flour. I believe the one I have is not very deep and hence it is sinking a bit though i do not fill it more than half. The batter rises to the top during baking,fluffs but sinks little bit at the end. It doesnt spill though while baking.
ABC, all 9 inch pans are made with the same depth. Maybe you should try using an 8 inch pan. Some of the other reasons for sinking are (I found in a book) oven temperature was too low, cake was underbaked, too much sugar was used, resulting in a thick firm and overly brown crust, too much liquid was used, resulting in a sticky layer above the bottom crust, too much leavener was used.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:22 am
Thanks. I have a son too. So I think in a few years, I will also be baking kid friendly recipes like you. I am looking forward to your post.
Sure sl, will get to it next week.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Hello
Thank you for your promp reply. Regarding your answer for my sinking cake here is the recipe I followed.(from cdkitchen web)It is great vegan cake.Now, I had been staying in different places and have baked vegan/eggless cakes lots of time and never had any problem. But in this new house, it’s frustrating bcos i gave lots of trials and was not successful yet. sides are more cooked and raised compared to center and once comes out I can see it sinking in the oven itself. I read online which suggested to bake at less temperature and for longer time. I tried baking at 365 degree F and still the structure was same. I dont know if it could be the problem with oven because previously it turned out to be really successful. Though eggless, the caked I baked would fluff and would be consistently moist.
Also I user regular fatfree milk.
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (scant) soy/rice milk/water (water works fine)
Directions:
Bake at 375 for 30 min. in greased pan.
Please help!!!!
Hi ABC, since you are telling that you have tried this recipe successfully before I’m also guessing that oven is the problem. Have you moved to a high altitude place? If yes let me know I’ll give you some suggestions. I read that once-dependable recipes baked at sea level become a bit out of whack up in the mountains.
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I stay in Maine State (North Eastern of USA). I just confirmed that it is not a high altitude state like CO.
I appreciate your help and will be waiting for your suggestions.
Hmm! Do you want to try the suggestions mentioned for high altitude baking anyway? Otherwise let me try that recipe and see how it’s baking.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:12 am
Yehh, if you can try that would be great
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
One more note- I believe the baking pan I have is hardly 1 or 1.5 inch deep. I will try in another glassware too? Do I have to reduce tempeature by 25 degree F if I am baking in glassware of nonstick? Sorry to bumbard with questions but being an avid baker you must be understanding my frustration
No problem abc. I’ll try to help as much as possible, because I’m also slowly trying to understand the science behind baking. I have a book “Baking for Dummies” and in the cake pan section it is mentioned that 8 and 9 inch cake pans should be atleast 1.5 inches deep. So if yours is 1.5 inches deep then the pan size is not a problem I guess. I have not baked in a glass pan before atleast a cake for that matter. But from the pie plates section in that book I understand that you have to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees if you want to cook for more than an hour. But this recipe calls for only 35 minutes right? So I don’t think that it’s necessary. If possible I’ll also try it today itself in a 9 inch cake pan.
May 12th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Oh! my God !, don’t think i am copying all ur writings but, i am trying out like what you have said, i try to do it by 1/2 because i am scared i will definitely make a mistake which i have already done thrice, that is why i am scared to try baking…, because i am interested more in baking bread sticks and things like that then cakes !!, i am not a sweet toothed person.., this information about measurements is worth while thank u so much for passing on this information…, its absolutely wonderful…, i have book marked it !!,
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
hi,
i really liked your website.i keep trying out new recipes often, also love to try those differently.i am new to baking, i am tempted to try out some of your recipes.
Thanks Meera.
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:45 am
when it comes to butter,margarine-does the measurements differ and how many grams is a cup of butter.thx
Yes stick margarine measures exactly the same as stick butter. 1 cup is approx 225gm.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Hi Madhuram
I landed in your website when I was googling for a rava idli recipe. I had stopped eating cakes for almost 7 years and never knew eggless baking was ever possible. Thanks a ton for your awesome work. I have got everything ready to try my hands at baking now. I bought a 13 X 9 X 2 pan (though it read 12.8 X 8.8 X 2 ). I want to know, how much of all purpose flour is needed to get a good sized cake? As most of your recipes say 1 cup I just wanted to know if it will be too less for my pan.
Thanks Krisatham. I would suggest you to get two 8 inch cake pans and one 8 inch square pan first and try the recipes here as it is, because adjusting a baking recipe is not as easy as adjusting a cooking recipe. The pan size, the ratio of flour, baking powder and baking soda cannot be simply incremented or decreased like we double or half other cooking recipes. If you are really interested in baking I would also suggest you to get a bakeware set available in Walmart and other stores. It costs around 20-25$ and you get all the basic pans and sheets. That’s how I started. Please feel free to get back if you have any further questions.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Thank you for your immediate response. I will try what you suggested. Another question – can baking powder and baking soda be used interchangeably?
You’re welcome. They can’t be used interchangeably.