# How do you turn cup measurements into grams?



## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm so tired of finding recipes where all the ingredients are measured In cups!!! That's not an exact measurement so how in the world am I supposed to know how much a quarter cup is exactly I need 3 cups of this that and the other and I have no idea how to measure it out, there are all types of cup sizes how am I supposed to measure in cups!!!!?


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## Alix (Dec 20, 2012)

Try this one. 

Flour volume vs weight conversions | Grams | Ounces | Cups | Pounds | Kilograms | Quarts


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## CharlieD (Dec 20, 2012)

Cup measuring is definitely not exact by any means. Your flour could be packed, or could be loose, i.e. when you sift the flour. The difference in that case in weight could be almost doubled. In bakeries they do no use "cups", everything is measured by weight. There are charts, plenty of them on line; you can use to convert cups into weight. Just do that and then use scale to measure your ingredients.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks for your help  it's just so frustrating when people aren't specific with measurements!


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## CharlieD (Dec 20, 2012)

It is not that people are not "specifc" it is just the way people do things. Not everybody has scale at home. People been using cups and spoons for ages. It's just easier that way, simple.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

Yeah but cups come in all types of sizes how do I know what size cup to measure with and how do I know how much a quarter cup is... :S


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## Andy M. (Dec 20, 2012)

Cups in a recipe are always measuring cups, not teacups.

Measuring cups come in two different types.  Individual pieces for 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup.  These individual pieces are used for dry ingredients.  There are also larger glass or plastic cups with markings on the side where you fill the cup to the appropriate level marked with a measure line.  This type is used for liquids.

Alix gave you a chart for flours.  Just about water-based liquids are the same.  A cup is 8 fluid ounce and 8 ounces on the scale.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

It's alright I figured it out from the charts


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## CharlieD (Dec 20, 2012)

Where do you live? Just wondering since you are asking about gramms.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

I live in England


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## CharlieD (Dec 20, 2012)

Got it. You guys are really messed up there with using both systems metric and British, and that one is even different from the one we use here in the states, oh my.

Here is another link: http://joshmadison.com/convert-for-windows/

- I use this one. I downloaded onto my desktop and it is always just a click away. Very convenient and it has both, or rather troth  (just joking) all tree system, Metric, British and Standard. Try and see which one you like better.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

Ah thanks so much! I found a perfect recipe for cookies and I just got so frustrated and angry coz measurements were just a nightmare but the cookies came out great!


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## CharlieD (Dec 20, 2012)

Good for you.Good luck.


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## taxlady (Dec 20, 2012)

Just remember that an old British recipe that uses cups uses a slightly different size cup than US cups.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

That's why I was having such a hard time so I just looked for a recipe that had ingredients measured In grams.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 20, 2012)

Pandora said:


> That's why I was having such a hard time so I just looked for a recipe that had ingredients measured In grams.



You could buy a set of American measuring cups  They're  inexpensive and might be available through Amazon.


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## Pandora (Dec 20, 2012)

That's actually a great idea especially with january sales coming up!


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## chopper (Dec 20, 2012)

GotGarlic said:
			
		

> You could buy a set of American measuring cups  They're  inexpensive and might be available through Amazon.



Brilliant!  I think that is a fantastic idea!


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## Kitchen Barbarian (Dec 21, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> You could buy a set of American measuring cups  They're  inexpensive and might be available through Amazon.




That's a horrible idea.  I cannot understand why American cooks continue to insist on using volume measures for things that are CLEARLY better done by weight, when really quite affordable and very accurate (well, very accurate for the home baker, perhaps not so much if you're a diamond merchant) digital scales are so readily available.

In addition to the problems of how much flour is actually in that cup of flour, the fact is that measuring cups (except for Pyrex glassware) vary by around 10%, plus or minus, from what an actual cup-by-volume is supposed to be.  That's 10% less to 10% more (roughly) for a quite wide 20% range.

Don't do it!  I'm in the process of converting all my cake recipes to weight measures, or finding a version that already uses weight measures.  Frankly I have neither the time nor the inclination to muck about with baking recipes that can vary wildly depending on who originally measured out some flour and decided that was "one cup".  That "one cup" could vary anywhere from as little as 3.5 oz to as much as 6 oz.  What a mess!


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## Addie (Dec 21, 2012)

Why do we Americans continue to use cups and spoonfuls? Very simple. It is what we learned at a young age, what our mothers used and taught us. Americans are great at mucking about. It makes for a great pastime.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 21, 2012)

Geez, calm down, Barbarian  Our method works fine for the millions of cooks who use it. No one suggested you do anything differently.


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## Addie (Dec 21, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> Geez, calm down, Barbarian  Our method works fine for the millions of cooks who use it. No one suggested you do anything differently.


 
Thank you.


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## Kitchen Barbarian (Dec 21, 2012)

Addie said:


> Why do we Americans continue to use cups and spoonfuls? Very simple. It is what we learned at a young age, what our mothers used and taught us. Americans are great at mucking about. It makes for a great pastime.



I've been baking for going on 50 years.  If I can manage the changeover, surely the younger generation shouldn't quail!  LOL!


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## taxlady (Dec 21, 2012)

I'm also in the process of converting my cup based recipes to grams. Whenever I am making something and I'm not in a hurry, I measure in cups and then weigh the ingredient and take notes. Weighing is so much easier.


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## Kitchen Barbarian (Dec 21, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> Geez, calm down, Barbarian  Our method works fine for the millions of cooks who use it. No one suggested you do anything differently.



I am actually not sure what you think you are reacting to, but maybe you just haven't had your morning cup of joe yet.  Or maybe you did ... could go either way there, LOL!

At any rate I'm not un-calm so ... no need to worry about it, tyvm.


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## Kitchen Barbarian (Dec 21, 2012)

Addie said:


> Thank you.



?????


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## Addie (Dec 21, 2012)

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> I've been baking for going on 50 years. If I can manage the changeover, surely the younger generation shouldn't quail! LOL!


 
I am gong to end this conversation before I forget to be the lady my raised me to be.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 21, 2012)

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> That's a horrible idea...  I cannot understand ... CLEARLY better  ... Don't do it!  ... I have neither the time nor the inclination to muck about ...  What a mess!



I was halfway teasing, hence the wink, and amused by the emphatic tone combined with your user name. 

Happy baking, all!


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## Mad Cook (Jul 14, 2013)

Pandora said:


> Yeah but cups come in all types of sizes how do I know what size cup to measure with and how do I know how much a quarter cup is... :S


I assume you are British or similar, rather than American. It' s a lot easier to convert American recipes from cups to ounces rather than cups to grammes (because, of course, America has had more sense than to go metric so their cups still measure in ounces). 

You don't use just any old cup out of your china cupboard. Special measuring cups come in sets of cup, half cup, quarter cup and in some cases a third of a cup and to measure larger amounts of liquid you can buy Pyrex-type jugs marked off in cups, ounces and grammes. If buying standard measuring cups and spoons in Britain you'll find they don't hold exactly the same as American ones which can cause problems when baking but isn't as crucial with other sorts of dishes. You can, however, get hold of American measuring cups on Ebay (sorry, can't remember the company's name).

Actually, when you get down to it, American recipes using cups aren't that difficult. Remember not to pack flour but do pack soft brown sugar lightly. And if you're British remember that the American pint is 16 ounces not 20 ounces like our "Imperial" pint. "Sticks" of butter weigh 4 ounces. 


I'm sure if I've got any of the above wrong I expect someone can correct me.

What really gets me is the flour issue - "all purpose flour" isn't quite our "strong" bread flour but isn't like our "plain" flour either and the situation is further complicated by our "self-raising" flour which doesn't seem to have an equivalent in the US and the vast (by British standards) amounts of raising agents that need to go into American cake mixes, presumably because of the amount of gluten in the flour.


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## Addie (Jul 15, 2013)

TL, we do have self rising flour.
Presto Self Rising Cake Flour 2 Lb. - Reily Foods Company
It is called cake flour. There is another company also that makes it. It is a soft red winter wheat flour. Down south they sell a brand called Lily flour. White Lily® - A Note To Our Consumers - Flour Mill FAQs 
It is a very light flour unlike our regular flour like King Arthur's. Our regular flour is a hard winter wheat flour and heavier than the soft red winter wheat. 

We can get the soft cake flour with or without the self rising component added. Just thought you would like to know. 

The cake flour makes heavenly biscuits.


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## Addie (Jul 15, 2013)

One more further note. You can buy measuring cups with the ml. or c. markings on them. I have a set of six and on the 1/4 c. it is also marked 60 ml. 
Amazon.com: RSVP 6-Piece Stainless Steel Nesting Measuring Cup Set: Kitchen & Dining

These are heavy duty steal 18/8, sit evenly nested and I love them. I also have a set of measuring spoons that are magnetic, sit flat on a surface and they too have the mL markings. 1/4 tsp. 1.25 mL.


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## CharlieD (Jul 15, 2013)

Mad Cook said:


> ... America has had more sense than to go metric so their cups still measure in ounces ...


 
Allow me to disagree here. America has no sense at all when it comes to measuring system. The whole wide world is using metric. If America were using metric it would be so much easier. And I am absolutely positive there would be even economic benefits for the whole country as far as trade go. I for sure see it in our company, we are having really hard time with manufacturing stuff for Europe, because they do not want American Standard, they want metric stuff.


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## Andy M. (Jul 15, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> Allow me to disagree here. America has no sense at all when it comes to measuring system. The whole wide world is using metric. If America were using metric it would be so much easier. And I am absolutely positive there would be even economic benefits for the whole country as far as trade go. I for sure see it in our company, we are having really hard time with manufacturing stuff for Europe, because they do not want American Standard, they want metric stuff.




+1  It should have been done decades ago.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 15, 2013)

I agree, Charlie. I'm American, born and bred, but I actually prefer metric, too. Weighing dry ingredients and moving decimal points around has become second nature. It's not difficult and, once you get used to it, is much more intuitive than trying to remember how many teaspoons are in a quarter cup or how many pints make up a gallon. In the metric world, water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100. How hard is that? As an added bonus, once you take the plunge, you open yourself up to a whole new world of international recipes.


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## taxlady (Jul 15, 2013)

One more who lives on Western side of the pond who prefers metric. Canada converted quite a while ago, but most of our recipes are still in US or Imperial measures, usually US, even though Canada used to use Imperial measures.


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## Andy M. (Jul 15, 2013)

I avoid fractions whenever possible.  It's an irrational fear developed in elementary school math class.  With metric, you don't have to worry about least common denominators, converting improper fractions, etc.


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## Addie (Jul 15, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> Allow me to disagree here. America has no sense at all when it comes to measuring system. The whole wide world is using metric. If America were using metric it would be so much easier. And I am absolutely positive there would be even economic benefits for the whole country as far as trade go. I for sure see it in our company, we are having really hard time with manufacturing stuff for Europe, because they do not want American Standard, they want metric stuff.


 
Charlie when my kids were in school, they taught the kids in metric and decimal system. They had no problem learning a new system. It was the adults. We simply refused to learn a new system. There were some things that changed and stayed that way. Large bottles of soda, and gasoline. And the temps that are shown on banks and other buildings are shown in C. and F. We still use the F. system. When Japan first started to send imports of cars, they didn't like the idea of the wheel being on the right side. So they built factories in this country using our measuring system. It was much cheaper than teaching their workers and changing their whole factories. I guess we are just a stubborn lot and will not give in.


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## CharlieD (Jul 16, 2013)

I understand the fear of learnng something new. In reality there is nothing new to learn. If you know how to count to 10 you already know metric system. It is that simple.


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## KatyCooks (Jul 16, 2013)

I find anything to do with numbers disconcerting.  Conversion is fine if it works out neatly, but it mostly doesn't!   I went to a recipe site recently that has a "converter" from cups to grams - but my scales don't measure down to decimal points.    

This is really only a problem for baking, where the measurements need to be pretty specific.  For anything else, I tend to just "wing it".     

I am actually considering getting a measuring "cup" so I can use American baking recipes.


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## luckytrim (Jul 16, 2013)

Grams to Ounces conversion


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## KatyCooks (Jul 16, 2013)

luckytrim said:


> Grams to Ounces conversion


 

I think the problem is converting "cups" luckytrim?     (To ounces or grams)


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## CharlieD (Jul 16, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> I find anything to do with numbers disconcerting. Conversion is fine if it works out neatly, but it mostly doesn't! I went to a recipe site recently that has a "converter" from cups to grams - but my scales don't measure down to decimal points.
> 
> This is really only a problem for baking, where the measurements need to be pretty specific. For anything else, I tend to just "wing it".
> 
> I am actually considering getting a measuring "cup" so I can use American baking recipes.


 
What are you baking that you need to know decimal of a gram?  
 I do not know any recipe where 1 gram would make a difference. Measuring with cups could be a difference of many-many grams, forget about decimal points.


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## luckytrim (Jul 16, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> I think the problem is converting "cups" luckytrim?     (To ounces or grams)




Apples and oranges ?
A cup of "A" won't weigh the same as a cup of "B" - but a gram is always a gram............ 

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.............


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## KatyCooks (Jul 16, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> What are you baking that you need to know decimal of a gram?
> I do not know any recipe where 1 gram would make a difference. Measuring with cups could be a difference of many-many grams, forget about decimal points.


 

Hi CharlieD.   I am not baking anything that requires decimals.  That's the point.  When you convert cups to grams you end up with some strange numbers.  And baking is not something I am overly confident with, so I tend to stick to recipes where I can weigh the ingredients accurately on my scales.  This means I am missing out on some great US recipes.


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## luckytrim (Jul 16, 2013)

Does this help at all ??

*More useful measurements*


Almonds ground               1c            <75g    
Apple, 1med, sliced         1c            125g    
Banana, 1med, sliced    1c            175g    
Barley, pearl uncooked    1c            175g    
Beetroot, 1 med, sliced    1c            125g    
Beans, dry                     1c            225g    
Breadcrumbs, fresh          1c            50g    
Breadcrumbs, dry          1c            100g    
Butter                           1c            225g    
Butter                           1 stick      100g    
Cabbage, raw, sliced      1c            >75g    
Cheese, cheddar, 
grated                           1c            100g    
Cheese, parmesan,
grated                         1c            75g
Cheese, cream, curd, 
cottage                          1c            225g
Chicken, raw or cooked, 
chopped                          1c            225g    
Chocolate plain               1 squar    25g    
Cocoa powder               1c          <100g    
Coconut, desiccated         1c            50g    
Cornflour, cornstarch    1c            100g    
Cornmeal, polenta          1c            100g    
Courgette, zucchini, 
1med, sliced               1c            125g    
Crackers, crushed          1c            75g    
Cranberries, whole          1c            >75g    
Cream, single, whipping, 
double                   1c unwhipped
                          2c whipped     225ml
Cucumber, sliced or 
chopped                           1c           125g    
Currants                      1c           125g    
Cut mixed peel, 
candied fruit                1c           125g    
Dates, chopped or whole     1c           200g    
Graham crackers, 
Digestive biscuits           1c           >75g    
Eggs ? whites 8-10           1c           225g    
Eggs ? yolks 12-15           1c           225g    
Flour, plain, SR                 1c           125g    
Flour, Brown                 1c           125g    
Flour, wholewheat,
graham                            1c           150g    
Gelatine, powdered        1 envelope    <7g    
Herbs, fresh, chopped      1c           50g    
Lemon 1 med.    2tbs juice, 1tsp zest        30ml juice, 5ml zest
Lemon juice                       1c         225ml
Lentils, uncooked            1c           125g    
Liquids                           1c       240ml
                                   1pt       450ml
                                   1qt       900ml
                                   1gal      3.75ltrs        
Macaroni, uncooked            1c           >100g    
Mayonnaise                       1c           175g    
Meat, raw or cooked 
Chopped                       1c           225g    
Meat, thinly sliced           1 1/2c     225g    
Mincemeat                       1c           275g    
Mushrooms, raw, sliced      1c          50g - 75g    
Nuts, broken or coarsely 
chopped ? walnuts, 
hazelnuts, almonds            1c            100g    
Nuts- peanuts, pecans      1c           25g    
Oatmeal, porridge oats      1c           75g    
Oil                                  1c         240ml
Onion, chopped                 1c           125g    
Oysters, raw, shelled      1pt     450g    
Potatoes, 1 med, raw, 
sliced, diced                       1c           175g - 200g    
Potatoes, cooked, mashed 1c     225g    
Peanut butter                  1c     225g    
Pepper, red, green, sliced  1c     100g - 125g    
Pepper red, green, diced       1c     125g - 175g    
Pumpkin, tinned, cooked, 
mashed                             1c     225g    
Raisins    1c    175g    
Rice, uncooked                  1c     175g             3-4 c cooked
Semolina                        1c     100g    
Shallots, 6med                  1/4c     25g    
Suet, shredded                  1c    >100g    
Sugar, caster/granulated       1c    200g    
Sugar, brown                  1c    140g    
Sugar, icing/confectioners  1c    <100g    
Sultanas                        1c    175g    
Sweet potatoes, chopped   1c    125g    
Tomatoes, 1 med, chopped 1c    125g - 175g    
Treacle, molasses             1c    350g    
Yeast fresh              1pkg / cake    15g    
Yeast dry                    1pkg     7g                   10ml




1 teaspoon (tsp)         =    5ml spoon
1 tablespoon (tbsp)        =    15ml spoon
2 tablespoons liquid        =    1/8 Cup
5 tablespoons liquid        =    1/3 Cup
8 tablespoons liquid        =    1/2 Cup


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## KatyCooks (Jul 16, 2013)

luckytrim said:


> Does this help at all ??
> 
> *More useful measurements*
> 
> ...


 

Actually, that's very helpful.   I have copied and pasted it.  Thanks very much!


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## CharlieD (Jul 17, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> Hi CharlieD. I am not baking anything that requires decimals. That's the point. When you convert cups to grams you end up with some strange numbers. And baking is not something I am overly confident with, so I tend to stick to recipes where I can weigh the ingredients accurately on my scales. This means I am missing out on some great US recipes.


 
KAty, don't be afraid of those numbers, just round them up to something reasonable, .235789 is .25 and thus it is a quarter .


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## Mad Cook (Aug 2, 2013)

Addie said:


> TL, we do have self rising flour.
> Presto Self Rising Cake Flour 2 Lb. - Reily Foods Company
> It is called cake flour. There is another company also that makes it. It is a soft red winter wheat flour. Down south they sell a brand called Lily flour. White Lily® - A Note To Our Consumers - Flour Mill FAQs
> It is a very light flour unlike our regular flour like King Arthur's. Our regular flour is a hard winter wheat flour and heavier than the soft red winter wheat.
> ...


Aha! I've seen the "Barefoot Contessa" use cake flour on Food Network but didn't know what it was. Thanks for the explanation, Addie.


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## Mad Cook (Aug 2, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> Allow me to disagree here. America has no sense at all when it comes to measuring system. The whole wide world is using metric. If America were using metric it would be so much easier. And I am absolutely positive there would be even economic benefits for the whole country as far as trade go. I for sure see it in our company, we are having really hard time with manufacturing stuff for Europe, because they do not want American Standard, they want metric stuff.


You have my sympathies. An ounce is 28.349 grammes so 60 grammes is more than 2 ounces . In theory, if a 1/4 metric cup holds 60 grammes, a metric cup should hold 240 grammes but it doesn't. It holds 250 grammes. As I said earlier, for most cooking this wouldn't make a lot of difference but can cause chaos if you are baking from a recipe that uses the American standard ounce cups. 10 grammes isn't much but if you are batch baking or making a very large cake things could go very wrong.


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