Translating recipes between the US and UK
American and British recipes are written in the same language but not the same system. The units differ, the ingredient names differ, and a few words mean genuinely different things. Here is what to change when you cook across the Atlantic.
Units: cups versus weight
American recipes measure dry ingredients by volume in cups. British recipes weigh them in grams. Converting requires ingredient densities — which is exactly what our converter is for.
Butter is the worst offender. US recipes call for "sticks", a unit that exists nowhere else. One stick is 113 g, 8 tablespoons or half a cup. Helpfully, US butter wrappers are printed with tablespoon marks.
| US | Metric | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 236.588 ml | US customary cup |
| 1 stick butter | 113 g | 8 tbsp / ½ cup |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.79 ml | UK tbsp is 15 ml — close enough |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.93 ml | UK tsp is 5 ml |
| 1 fl oz (US) | 29.57 ml | UK fl oz is 28.41 ml |
| 1 pint (US) | 473 ml | UK pint is 568 ml — a real difference |
| 1 oz | 28.35 g | Weight, identical both sides |
Ingredient names
| United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Plain flour |
| Self-rising flour | Self-raising flour |
| Confectioners / powdered sugar | Icing sugar |
| Granulated sugar | Caster or granulated sugar |
| Light brown sugar | Light muscovado / soft brown |
| Baking soda | Bicarbonate of soda |
| Cornstarch | Cornflour |
| Heavy cream | Double cream |
| Half-and-half | Single cream (approx.) |
| Zucchini | Courgette |
| Eggplant | Aubergine |
| Cilantro | Coriander (leaf) |
| Scallion | Spring onion |
| Arugula | Rocket |
| Molasses | Black treacle (approx.) |
| Shortening | Vegetable fat / Trex |
| Broiler | Grill |
| Skillet | Frying pan |
| Parchment paper | Baking parchment |
| Plastic wrap | Cling film |
The traps
- Cornflour means cornstarch in the UK but ground cornmeal in the US. Getting these backwards ruins a sauce.
- A UK pint is 568 ml against the US 473 ml — 20% larger. Always check which pint a recipe means.
- Caster sugar is finer than US granulated. Granulated works in most recipes, but caster dissolves better in meringues and creamed butter.
- US granulated sugar sits between UK granulated and caster in grain size.
- Double cream is around 48% fat; heavy cream is around 36%. Double cream whips faster and firmer.
- US "grill" means an outdoor barbecue; UK "grill" means the overhead element the US calls a broiler.
Oven settings
US recipes give Fahrenheit and assume a conventional oven. UK recipes give Celsius and often both conventional and fan figures, plus a gas mark. Convert the temperature, then subtract about 20°C if you are using a fan oven and your oven does not compensate for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is all-purpose flour the same as plain flour?
Effectively yes. UK plain flour is typically slightly lower in protein than US all-purpose, which makes British cakes a touch more tender, but they are interchangeable in practice.
How many grams is a stick of butter?
113 g — equal to 8 tablespoons, half a cup, or 4 ounces.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar?
Usually. Caster is finer and dissolves faster, so for meringues and creaming into butter, blitz granulated briefly in a food processor to approximate it.
Is heavy cream the same as double cream?
Close but not identical. Double cream is about 48% fat and heavy cream about 36%. Double cream is richer and whips more firmly.