Cooking conversions, recipe scaling, temperature conversion, and emergency substitutions — everything you need when you're mid-recipe.
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Common Measurement Conversions
These are the volume conversions every home cook should have memorized. When you're mid-recipe and don't have the right measuring tool, this is your cheat sheet.
Measurement
Teaspoons
Tablespoons
Cups
Fluid Oz
Milliliters
1 teaspoon
1
⅓
1/48
⅙
4.9
1 tablespoon
3
1
1/16
½
14.8
¼ cup
12
4
¼
2
59
½ cup
24
8
½
4
118
1 cup
48
16
1
8
237
1 pint
96
32
2
16
473
1 quart
192
64
4
32
946
1 gallon
768
256
16
128
3,785
Oven Temperature Quick Reference
Most recipes use these standard oven temperatures. If your oven runs hot or cold, a simple oven thermometer is one of the most useful kitchen tools you can own.
250°F
121°C
Very low — meringues, drying
300°F
149°C
Low — slow roasting
325°F
163°C
Low-moderate — pound cake
350°F
177°C
Moderate — most baked goods
375°F
190°C
Moderate-high — cookies
400°F
204°C
Hot — roasted vegetables
425°F
218°C
Very hot — crispy roasting
450°F
232°C
High — pizza, bread
Emergency Ingredient Substitutions
Out of an ingredient mid-recipe? These substitutions are tried and tested. Results may vary slightly, but they'll get you through in a pinch.
Need: Buttermilk (1 cup)
Use: Milk + acid
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let sit 5 minutes.
Need: Baking powder (1 tsp)
Use: Baking soda + cream of tartar
¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar. Works 1:1 in most recipes.
Need: Egg (1 large)
Use: Flax egg or applesauce
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water (let gel 5 min), or ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce.
Need: Heavy cream (1 cup)
Use: Milk + butter
¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup melted butter. Not ideal for whipping, but works in sauces and baking.
Need: Brown sugar (1 cup)
Use: White sugar + molasses
1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (dark brown) or 1½ tsp molasses (light brown). Mix well.
Need: Sour cream (1 cup)
Use: Greek yogurt
1:1 substitution. Full-fat Greek yogurt works best. Works in dips, baking, and toppings.
Need: Cake flour (1 cup)
Use: AP flour + cornstarch
¾ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour + 2 tbsp cornstarch. Sift together before using.
Need: Honey (1 cup)
Use: Maple syrup or sugar
1 cup maple syrup (1:1) or ¾ cup sugar + ¼ cup liquid. Reduce oven temp by 25°F with sugar.
Tips for Scaling Recipes
Scaling a recipe isn't always as simple as multiplying every ingredient by the same factor. Here's what to know before you double or triple a dish:
Leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda, yeast) don't always scale linearly. When doubling a recipe, increase leavening by only 1.5x, not 2x. Too much leavening can cause a bitter taste or cause your baked goods to collapse.
Salt and spices also don't always need to be doubled. Start with 1.5x the amount, taste, and adjust. Over-salting a large batch is a common mistake.
Cooking time changes when you scale up. More food in a pan means longer cooking time. Use a meat thermometer or toothpick test rather than relying solely on the original recipe time.
Pan size matters. Doubling a cake recipe doesn't mean it will fit in two of the same pan. Check your batter depth — it should fill the pan about halfway for most baked goods.
One stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, which equals ½ cup, 4 ounces, or approximately 113 grams. Most butter sold in the US has tablespoon measurements printed directly on the wrapper for easy measuring.
What is 350°F in Celsius?
350°F equals approximately 177°C. This is one of the most common baking temperatures and is used for cakes, most cookies, and many casseroles. To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius yourself: subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9.
How do I scale a recipe for a crowd?
Divide your target servings by the original servings to get your scale factor. Multiply most ingredients by that factor — but go easier on salt, spices, and leavening agents (use about 1.5x instead of 2x when doubling). Cooking time will also increase, so use visual cues and a thermometer rather than relying on the original time.