Self-Rising Flour:
Grams to Cups
One cup of self-rising flour weighs 120 grams, identical to all-purpose flour. The difference is invisible to a scale: self-rising flour contains added baking powder and salt, making it a convenient shortcut for biscuits, pancakes, and quick breads.
Convert Self-Rising Flour
1 cup = 120 grams
= — grams
= — cups
Quick reference
Measurement Table
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 15 g | 0.53 oz |
| ¼ cup | 30 g | 1.06 oz |
| ⅓ cup | 40 g | 1.41 oz |
| ½ cup | 60 g | 2.12 oz |
| ⅔ cup | 80 g | 2.82 oz |
| ¾ cup | 90 g | 3.17 oz |
| 1 cup | 120 g | 4.23 oz |
| 1¼ cups | 150 g | 5.29 oz |
| 1½ cups | 180 g | 6.35 oz |
| 2 cups | 240 g | 8.47 oz |
| 3 cups | 360 g | 12.70 oz |
About Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour pre-mixed with baking powder (typically 1½ teaspoons per cup) and salt (¼ teaspoon per cup). Because the weight per cup is the same as all-purpose flour, you can convert between them by weight, then adjust the leavening and salt separately.
To make your own self-rising flour, combine 120 g (1 cup) of all-purpose flour with 6 g (1½ tsp) of baking powder and 1.5 g (¼ tsp) of salt. This gives you an exact equivalent. Going the other direction, when a recipe calls for self-rising flour and you only have all-purpose, subtract the baking powder and salt from the recipe's requirements.
Self-rising flour is particularly popular in Southern American baking, where it appears in nearly every biscuit recipe. British recipes also rely on it heavily for scones and victoria sponge cakes. The pre-measured leavening ensures consistent, reliable rise without any additional measuring.
One important caveat: self-rising flour has a shorter shelf life than all-purpose flour. The baking powder inside begins to lose potency after 6–8 months, even if sealed. If your self-rising baked goods aren't rising as expected, test your flour's age before assuming a recipe error.
Tips for measuring Self-Rising Flour
- Same measuring technique as all-purpose flour: spoon, don't scoop.
- Don't add extra baking powder — the leavening is already included.
- Check the expiration date — the baking powder inside goes stale.
- DIY: 120 g all-purpose + 6 g baking powder + 1.5 g salt = 1 cup self-rising.
Common mistakes
- Adding extra baking powder, resulting in an over-leavened, bitter taste.
- Storing too long — self-rising flour loses its rise after 6–8 months.
- Substituting in recipes that need precise salt control without adjusting.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many grams in a cup of Self-Rising Flour?
- 1 cup of Self-Rising Flour weighs 120 grams. This is the standard measurement used in most American recipes.
- How many cups is 120 grams of Self-Rising Flour?
- 120 grams of Self-Rising Flour equals exactly 1 cup. For partial amounts, use the converter above or the measurement table.
- Is 120 g per cup accurate for all brands?
- 120 g/cup is the widely accepted standard. Minor brand-to-brand variation exists (±5–10%), but for most baking purposes this figure is reliable.