TEASPOONS, TABLESPOONS, AND CUPS
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
4 tablespoons = ¼ cup
BUTTER
By the pound, stick, or ounce, here’s how butter measures up.
| STICK | CUPS | TABLESPOONS | OUNCES (BY WEIGHT) |
| 4 sticks | 2 cups | 32 tablespoons | 16 ounces |
| 3 sticks | 1½ cups | 24 tablespoons | 12 ounces |
| 2 sticks | 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 8 ounces |
| 1½ sticks | ¾ cup | 12 tablespoons | 6 ounces |
| ⅓ stick | ⅔ cup | 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons | 5.5 ounces |
| 1 stick | ½ cup | 8 tablespoons | 4 ounces |
| ⅔ stick | ⅓ cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon | 2.75 ounces |
| ½ stick | ¼ cup | 4 tablespoons | 2 ounces |
| ¼ stick | ⅛ cup | 2 tablespoons | 1 ounce |
| ⅛ stick | — | 1 tablespoon | 0.5 ounce |
While you can never truly compare apples to oranges, sometimes you can’t compare oranges to oranges, either. As a general guideline, here’s what most recipes expect from citrus fruit.
| FRUIT | JUICE | PEEL |
| 1 navel orange | ½ cup | 2 tablespoons |
| 1 lemon | 3 tablespoons | 1 tablespoon |
| 1 lime | 2 tablespoons | 2 teaspoons |
CHEESE
How much cheese do you need? Whether the recipe uses weight or volume, most cheeses fall into this scale.
| OUNCE | SHREDDED |
| 8 ounces (½ pound) | 2 cups |
| 4 ounces | 1 cup |
| 2 ounces | ½ cup |
| 1 ounce | ¼ cup |
OVEN TEMPERATURES
| FAHRENHEIT (°F) | CELSIUS (°C) | FAHRENHEIT (°F) | CELSIUS (°C) |
| 225 | 110 | 400 | 200 |
| 250 | 120 | 425 | 220 |
| 275 | 135 | 450 | 230 |
| 300 | 150 | 475 | 245 |
| 325 | 160 | 500 | 260 |
| 350 | 175 | 525 | 275 |
| 375 | 190 | 550 | 285 |
Pan acquisition is a dangerous addiction that can result in a maimed credit rating. However, ignoring recipe requirements is not the solution. A head-in-the-flour-bin approach can lead to culinary disaster, just as buying every pan on the market can lead to financial ruin.
Using the right-size pan is important, but it doesn’t mean you need more pans. It just means you need to know how to fudge it. This chart will get you out of most pan-induced panics.
| PANS THAT HOLD 8 CUPS BATTER | PANS THAT HOLD 10 CUPS BATTER |
| 8” × 8” square | 9” × 9” square |
| 9” round | 10” round |
| 11” × 7” rectangle | 13” × 9” rectangle |
Need more?
If math gives you a rash, photocopy the chart above, paste it where you can refer to it often, and don’t deviate from the chart. For those who like a challenge, here is how to calculate how to bake a cake intended for a 9” round pan, using an 8” round pan. The key is to measure the surface area.
1. CALCULATE THE SURFACE AREA OF BOTH PANS. The formula for round pans is pi (π = 3.14) x the radius squared.
• Surface area for 9” round pan = 3.14 × 4.5 × 4.5 = 63.58
• Surface area for 8” round pan = 3.14 × 4 × 4 = 50.24
2. CALCULATE THE PERCENTAGE OF THE SMALLER PAN. Here’s how much surface area the 8” round pan offers versus the 9” pan.
• (50.24 ÷ 63.58) × 100 = 79%
That’s 80 percent in my world. In order for the recipe to work, the 8” round pan should hold only 80 percent of the batter intended for its 9” counterpart. So pour 80 percent of your batter into the 8” pan. (Use a scale to do this.) This ensures the height of the batter is approximately the same as the original recipe intended and your cake won’t spill over.
And just what do you do with the remaining 20 percent? Bake cupcakes.
This is where math ends and the alchemy begins. You have to reduce the baking time “slightly.” How much is “slightly”? That depends on too many factors to calculate accurately. Start by reducing the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes, check the cake, and estimate additional baking time from there—if needed.
EMERGENCY SUBSTITUTIONS
It happens. Someone who shall remain nameless eats the last of the eggs or puts the milk back in the fridge with only a drop left. Yogurt goes bad, or that jar of corn syrup turns out to be barbecue sauce. Sometimes you have to make substitutions.
You’ll notice the heading above says “Emergency.” The recipes in this book were developed with a specific outcome in mind. While they’re reasonably flexible, substitutions can change the taste, color, and/or texture of the final dish.
But an altered baked good is better than none. So here we go …
FLOUR
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 cup all-purpose flour | • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake, pastry, or cake and pastry flour (for pastry or light baked goods) • 1 cup bread flour (for heavy baked goods) |
| 1 cup bread flour | • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup whole wheat flour (structure won’t be as strong) |
| 1 cup sifted cake, pastry, or cake and pastry flour | • 1 cup – 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch added in its place |
| 1 cup whole wheat flour | • 1 cup – 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 3 tablespoons wheat germ added in its place • 1 cup crushed melba toasts |
| 1 cup panko crumbs | • 1 cup crushed saltines • 1 cup bread crumbs |
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 cup granulated sugar | • 1 cup packed light brown sugar (baked goods will be moister and chewier) • 1 cup superfine sugar • 1¾ cups confectioners’ sugar (baked goods will be less crisp) • 1 cup turbinado sugar (might have to work to dissolve sugar) |
| 1 cup light brown sugar | • 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses • ½ cup dark brown sugar + ½ cup granulated sugar • 1 cup Demerara sugar |
| 1 cup dark brown sugar | • 1 cup Demerara sugar • 1 cup light brown sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses • 1 cup granulated sugar + 3 tablespoons molasses |
| 1 cup confectioners’ sugar | • ½ cup granulated sugar + ¾ teaspoon cornstarch, finely ground together |
| 1 cup corn syrup | 1 cup granulated sugar + ¼ cup water |
| 1 cup honey | • 1¼ cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup liquid • ½ cup granulated sugar + ¾ cup maple syrup or corn syrup |
| 1 cup golden syrup | • 1 cup amber corn syrup |
RISING AGENTS
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 8-gram package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast | • 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (add to dry ingredients and cut rising time in half) |
| 8-gram package (2¼ teaspoons) instant dry yeast | • Equal amount of bread yeast added to dry ingredients • Equal amount of active dry yeast, but sprinkled over warm water and left for 5 to 10 minutes until it foams, then added to wet ingredients |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder | ¼ teaspoon baking soda + ½ teaspoon cream of tartar + ¼ teaspoon cornstarch |
| 1 teaspoon baking soda | Sorry. You’re out of luck. The only substitution I could find was for equal parts potash. Not in my kitchen. |
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 large egg | • 2 yolks + 1 tablespoon cold water (will be richer) • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (for cakes) • 3 tablespoons ground flax + ⅛ teaspoon baking powder + 3 tablespoons water (muffins and quick breads) • ½ teaspoon more baking powder + ¼ cup extra liquid (for muffins) |
| 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (for whipping egg whites) | • 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice |
DAIRY
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 cup buttermilk | • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, topped with enough milk to make 1 cup (let stand for 5 to 10 minutes) • ½ cup plain yogurt + ½ cup milk • Buttermilk made from buttermilk powder (follow package directions—for baking only) |
| 1 cup 2% milk | • 1 cup whole milk (results will be richer) • 1 cup 1% milk (baked goods will be drier and fall apart more easily) • ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water • 2 tablespoons melted butter + enough fat-free milk to make 1 cup |
| Sour cream | • 1 cup Balkan or Greek yogurt (for garnish) |
| Crème fraîche | • ½ cup sour cream + ½ cup cream |
| 1 cup mascarpone | • ½ cup cream cheese + ½ cup sour cream (blended) • ¾ cup cream cheese + ¼ cup heavy cream (blended) |
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 cup unsalted butter | • 1 cup salted butter minus ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt from recipe • 1 cup margarine (less flavor, and baking will be less crisp) • 1 cup shortening (cookies will be crisper but less flavorful) • 1 cup shortening or lard (for pastry, but moisture will need to be adjusted) |
| 1 cup vegetable oil | 1 cup grapeseed, light olive, soybean, canola, peanut, safflower, or sunflower oil |
CHOCOLATE
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate | • 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon butter, vegetable oil, or shortening |
| 1 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate | • ½ ounce unsweetened chocolate + 1 tablespoon sugar • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1½ teaspoons butter, vegetable oil, or shortening |
| 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder | • 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and omit the baking soda |
| 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder | • 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder plus a pinch of baking soda |
| 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips | • 1 cup milk or white chocolate chips • 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts and pecans are the most common) |
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, oregano) | 1 teaspoon dried herbs |
| 1 teaspoon mace | • 1 teaspoon nutmeg • 1 teaspoon allspice • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice |
| 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract | • ⅓ vanilla bean pod, split and scraped (added at beginning of cooking process) • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste |
| 1 vanilla bean | • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (added toward end of cooking) • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste |
NUTS, SEEDS, AND DRIED FRUIT
| IF YOU DON’T HAVE | SUBSTITUTE |
| 1 cups nuts (any kind) | • 1 cup walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, or peanuts (changes taste) |
| 1 cup dried fruit (folded into the batter) | 1 cup of any of the following: • Dried cherries • Dried cranberries • Dried blueberries • Raisins • Dried currants (smaller and a bit drier) |
| 1 cup dried pumpkin seeds (pepitas) | • 1 cup sunflower seeds |
| 1 tablespoon sesame seeds | • 1 tablespoon finely chopped almonds • 1 tablespoon finely chopped peanuts • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (white or black) |