Recipe Scaler
Paste an ingredient list and scale it up or down. Every ingredient is converted using its own weight, so a cup of flour becomes 120g while a cup of sugar becomes 200g. You also get told which parts of the recipe do not scale in a straight line.
One ingredient per line. Section headings like "For the frosting:" are kept as-is.
Bake time does not scale
Ingredients scale; heat does not. If you keep the same batter depth and use a larger or second pan, the time stays close to the original. If the batter gets deeper, drop the oven about 25F and expect noticeably longer. Check doneness by temperature or a skewer, not the clock.
Match the pan area
You need about 2x the pan area, which is not 2x the pan width. Area grows with the square of the diameter, so this works out to roughly 1.41x the diameter of the original pan. Using 2 of the original pan instead keeps the batter depth, and therefore the bake time, close to what the recipe already says.
Scaled 2x
Your scaled ingredients will appear here.
Why scaling by weight matters
A cup is a volume, not a weight, and how much flour lands in it depends on whether it was scooped or spooned. That error sits at around 20 percent, and when you triple a recipe you triple the error along with the flour. Weighing removes it. That is why every amount here is converted using the density of the specific ingredient rather than one generic cup-to-gram number.
What does not scale in a straight line
Ingredients scale. Physics does not. Three things break first when you push a recipe past double.
Leavening. A deeper batter traps carbon dioxide differently. Straight multiplication works to about double, and past that many bakers pull leavening back by roughly a quarter to stop a fast rise followed by a collapse. This tool always shows you the linear number and tells you when to think about it, rather than quietly changing the amount behind your back.
Pan size. Area grows with the square of the diameter. Doubling a recipe needs about 1.4 times the pan diameter, not twice. Two of the original pan is usually the safest choice, because it keeps the batter depth the same and the bake time close to what the recipe already tells you.
Bake time. Heat moves through batter at its own pace. Same depth means roughly the same time. Deeper batter means longer at a lower temperature, usually about 25F down. Judge doneness with a thermometer or a skewer rather than the clock.
Substituting while you scale
Scaling a recipe is a good moment to notice you are short on something. If an ingredient runs out partway up, our ingredient substitution guides give the ratio and the effect on texture for each swap, and the gluten-free flour blend calculator handles the flour side.
Frequently asked questions
How do you scale a recipe?
Multiply every ingredient by the same factor, then adjust the things that do not scale linearly. Weight is the reliable way to do it, because a cup of flour can vary by 20 percent depending on how it was packed, and that error multiplies along with everything else. Leavening, salt, pan size, and bake time all need separate thought.
Can you just double every ingredient?
For most cakes, cookies, and quick breads, doubling every ingredient works. The parts that break are leavening at three times and above, strong flavors like salt and extracts, and the pan and oven. Doubling the batter does not mean doubling the bake time, and it does not mean a pan twice as wide.
Does baking powder scale linearly?
Up to about double, yes. Beyond that many bakers reduce leavening by roughly 25 percent, because a deeper batter traps gas differently and can rise fast then collapse. Scale it linearly first, bake one test, and cut it back if the result domes hard or sinks in the middle.
What pan should I use when I scale a recipe up?
Match the area, not the width. Area grows with the square of the diameter, so doubling a recipe means going up about 1.4 times in diameter, not 2. A 9 inch round holds roughly twice a 6 inch round. The simplest safe option is often two of the original pan, which keeps the batter depth and therefore the bake time close to the original.
How do I scale a recipe that calls for eggs?
Eggs come in whole units, so scaling often lands on a fraction. A large egg is about 50 grams out of the shell, so you can beat one and weigh out the portion you need. If you would rather not, adding one extra yolk instead of half an egg keeps the richness without the extra water.
Is it better to scale by weight or by volume?
By weight. Volume measurements carry packing error that scales along with the recipe, and the error compounds as amounts get awkward. This tool converts each ingredient using its own density, so a cup of flour becomes 120 grams while a cup of sugar becomes 200 grams, rather than treating a cup as one fixed weight.