Baking Basics: How to Measure Flour

I debated for awhile on whether or not I wanted to start this Baking Basics series. Part of me thought, maybe some of this stuff is too basic. Maybe it is something people would not be interested in. Then I remembered how much my baking improved once I learned some of the baking basics that I would like to discuss in this series. This series is for those who want to improve on their baking skills and become more knowledgeable about the tools and ingredients needed to make awesome cupcakes (and other baked goods)!

I am going to start with what has to be the most basic of basics, which is how to measure flour correctly. Baking is a science. When the balance of dry and wet ingredients is incorrect, a cupcake can go terribly wrong very quickly. By not measuring flour correctly, most people end up putting much more flour in their recipes than they realize.

The correct measurement of a cup of flour should be 4.25 ounces in weight. When scooping flour straight out of the bag, it is not uncommon to get almost 5.5 to 6 ounces of flour. That’s a lot of extra flour! This extra flour can change the density of your cupcakes drastically. They can become dry and sometimes dense instead of light and fluffy.