Baking Math
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to:
1. Recognize the measurement and equivalent chart and compare with the actual weight of the
ingredients;
2. Identify the common emergency substitution applicable to bake products;
3. Solve baker’s percentage of a baked products;
4. Apply the techniques acquired in solving baker’s percentage, unit cost and selling cost.
Measurement and Equivalent
Baking requires exact measurement to ensure quality product. Likewise, the data below is quite
important in determining the equivalent of 1 cup if it requires weight measure.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)
1/16 cup = 1 tablespoon
1/8 cups = 2 tablespoons
1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
¼ cup = 4 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup = 6 tablespoons
½ cup = 8 tablespoons
2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
¾ cup = 12 tablespoons
1 cup = 48 teaspoons
1 cup = 16 tablespoons
8 fluid ounces (floz) = 1 cup
1 pint (pt) = 2 cups
1 quart (qt) = 2 pints
4 cups = 1 quart
1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts
16 ounces = 1 pound (lb)
1 milliliter (ml) = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (cm)
Source: United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
U.S – Metric Cooking Conversions U.S to Metric
Capacity Weight
1/5 teaspoon 1 milliliter 1 oz 28 grams
1 teaspoon 5 ml 1 pound 454 grams
1 tablespoon 15 ml 1 kilograms 1000 g
1 fluid oz 30 ml
1/5 cup 47 ml
1 cup 237 ml
2 cups (1 pint) 473 ml
4 cups ( 1 quart) .95 liter
4 quarts (1 gal.) 3.8 liters
Metric to U.S
Capacity Weight
1 milliliter 1/5 teaspoon 1 gram .035 ounce
5 ml 1 teaspoon 100 grams 3.5 ounces
15 ml 1 tablespoon 500 grams 1.10 pounds
100 ml 3.4 fluid oz 1 kilogram 2.205 pounds
= 35 ounces
240 ml 1 cup
34 fluid oz
= 4.2 cups
1 liter 2.1 cups
1.06 quarts
0.26 gallon
Emergency Substitution is an alternative for basic ingredients in behalf of a specific ingredients which
does not affect quality of the product.
Instead of: Amount Use:
Baking powder 1 tsp ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar
Bread crumbs, dry ¼ cup ¼ cup finely crushed cracker, corn flakes or quick-
cooking or old-fashioned oats
Brown sugar, packed 1 cup 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 tbsp molasses
or dark corn syrup
Butter 1 cup 1 cup margarine
Buttermilk or sour milk 1 cup 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk
to make 1 cup; let stand a few minutes, or 1 cup
plain yogurt
Chocolate
Semisweet baking 1 oz 1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate plus 1 tbsp sugar
1 cup 6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
Semisweet chips 1oz 3 tbsp baking cocoa plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil or
Unsweetened baking melted shortening or margarine
Cornstarch 1 tbsp 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or 4 tsp quick-cooking
9for thickening) tapiocaf mayonnaise for baking and batters only.
¼ cup of egg beaten or 2 tablespoon
Corn syrup
Light 1 cup 1 cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup water
Dark 1 cup 1 cup light corn syrup; ¾ cup light corn syrup plus ¼
cup molasses; 1 cup maple-flavored syrup
Eggs 1 large 1 whole egg
2 egg whites
2 egg yolks (for custard or puddings); or 2 eggs yolks
plus 1 tbsp water (for cookies or bars)
Flour
All-purpose 1 cup 1 cup plus 2 tbsp cake flour
Cake 1 cup 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Self-rising 1 cup 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 and ½ tsp powder and
½ tsp salt
Half and half/cream 1 cup 7/8th of a cup of whole milk plus ½ tablespoon of
butter regular parts of whole milk and light cream
Lemon juice, fresh 1 tbsp 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice or white vinegar
Lemon peel, grated 1 tsp 1 tsp dried lemon peel
Milk, regular or low-fat 1 cup ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water; or nonfat
dry milk prepared as directed in package
Whole milk 1 cup 1 cup buttermilk plus ½ teaspoon of baking soda (if
baking, reduce baking powder by 2 teaspoon)
1 cup plain yogurt, or sour cream
Sour cream 1 cup 1 cup plain yogurt
Yeast, regular or quick active dry 1 pkg 2 and ¼ tsp regular or quick active dry or 1 package
(1/4 oz) (0.6 oz) compressed cake yeast
Yogurt, plain 1 cup 1 cup sour cream