Powdered Sugar Grams to Cups
1 cup of powdered sugar weighs about 120 grams, spooned in unsifted and leveled. 100 g is ¾ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons.
Tip: Spoon unsifted powdered sugar into the cup and level it. Sifted, a cup weighs less.
One US cup of powdered (confectioners' or icing) sugar weighs about 120 g unsifted (USDA). To convert grams to cups, divide by 120, so 240 g = 2 cups. Sifting adds air, so a cup of sifted powdered sugar weighs less. A 1 lb box holds about 3 ¾ cups unsifted.
Powdered sugar grams to cups chart
| Grams | Cups | Measure with | Tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | about 1.5 tbsp | 1.5 tbsp | 1.3 |
| 25 g | about 3.5 tbsp | 3.5 tbsp | 3.3 |
| 50 g | ⅓ cup + 1.5 tbsp | ⅓ cup + 1.5 tbsp | 6.7 |
| 75 g | ½ cup + 2 tbsp | ½ cup + 2 tbsp | 10 |
| 100 g | ¾ cup + 1.5 tbsp | ½ cup + ⅓ cup | 13.3 |
| 113 g | ¾ cup + 3 tbsp | 2 × ⅓ cup + ¼ cup + 1 tsp | 15.1 |
| 125 g | 1 cup + 2 tsp | 1 cup + 2 tsp | 16.7 |
| 150 g | 1 ¼ cups | 1 cup + ¼ cup | 20 |
| 200 g | 1 ⅔ cups | 1 cup + 2 × ⅓ cup | 26.7 |
| 250 g | 2 cups + 1.5 tbsp | 2 × 1 cup + 1.5 tbsp | 33.3 |
| 300 g | 2 ½ cups | 2 × 1 cup + ½ cup | 40 |
| 400 g | 3 ⅓ cups | 3 × 1 cup + ⅓ cup | 53.3 |
| 500 g | 4 cups + 2.5 tbsp | 4 × 1 cup + 2.5 tbsp | 66.7 |
| 1000 g | 8 ⅓ cups | 8 × 1 cup + ⅓ cup | 133.3 |
Cups of powdered sugar to grams
Sifted or unsifted?
Powdered sugar is so fine that it packs down in the bag and forms lumps. How you get it into the cup changes the weight a lot:
- Unsifted, spooned and leveled: about 120 g per cup. This is what the converter and the charts on this page use.
- Sifted, then spooned into the cup: lighter, because sifting fills it with air.
- Scooped straight from the bag: heavier and inconsistent.
Recipes that say “1 cup powdered sugar, sifted” mean measure first, then sift, so use 120 g. Recipes that say “1 cup sifted powdered sugar” mean sift first, so the cup weighs less. For frosting, either way usually works because you adjust the thickness with milk or cream.
Common amounts for frosting and glaze
| Recipe calls for | Powdered sugar (unsifted) |
|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 30 g |
| ½ cup | 60 g |
| 1 cup | 120 g |
| 2 cups | 240 g |
| 3 cups | 360 g |
| 4 cups (about one 1 lb box) | 480 g |
A classic American buttercream for a 9-inch layer cake uses 3–4 cups of powdered sugar, which is close to a full 1 lb box.
Boxes and bags
| Package | Weight | Cups (unsifted) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb box | 454 g | about 3 ¾ cups |
| 2 lb bag | 907 g | about 7 ½ cups |
| 1 kg bag | 1,000 g | about 8 ⅓ cups |
More detail, including sifted cups, is in how many cups in a box of powdered sugar.
See also: granulated sugar and brown sugar.
Questions
How many grams is 1 cup of powdered sugar?
About 120 g, unsifted, spooned into the cup and leveled. King Arthur Baking lists 113 g. Sifted powdered sugar weighs less per cup.
How many cups is 100 grams of powdered sugar?
100 g of powdered sugar is ¾ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons, a little under 1 cup.
How many cups are in a 1 lb box of powdered sugar?
About 3 ¾ cups unsifted. Sifted, the same box fills more cups. See cups in a box of powdered sugar.
Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar or confectioners' sugar?
Yes. Powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar and icing sugar are the same thing, finely ground sugar mixed with a little cornstarch to stop it caking.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar?
Not cup for cup. A cup of granulated sugar weighs 200 g, much more than 120 g. For frosting you need powdered sugar; you can make it by blending granulated sugar until fine.