120 Grams of Butter in Cups
120 grams of butter doesn't land on a clean fraction, so the result below is calculated exactly rather than rounded to a common measure. Based on a density of 227g per cup, it equals 0.53 cups.
- Cups (US Customary)
- 0.53 (½)
- Tablespoons
- 8.5
- Teaspoons
- 25.4
- Milliliters
- 125 ml
120 grams of butter = 0.53 cups (½ cup / 8.5 tbsp / 25.4 tsp)
Butter has a density of approximately 227g per cup. Solid or melted weighs the same per cup. Source: USDA FoodData Central. This is the figure used everywhere on this page, including the tablespoon and teaspoon values, so the numbers stay consistent whether you're reading the summary line, the table, or the FAQ answers below.
| Grams | Cups | Fraction | Tablespoons | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100g | 0.44 | ½ | 7.0 | 21.1 |
| 110g | 0.48 | ½ | 7.8 | 23.3 |
| 120g | 0.53 | ½ | 8.5 | 25.4 |
| 125g | 0.55 | ½ | 8.8 | 26.4 |
| 130g | 0.57 | ⅝ | 9.2 | 27.5 |
How 120g Converts, Step by Step
120g divided by 227g (the weight of one cup of butter) equals 0.53 cups. Multiplying that by 16 gives 8.5 tablespoons, and by 48 gives 25.4 teaspoons, since one cup always equals 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons regardless of the ingredient.
Butter is lighter than water, which weighs about 236g per cup. That's why 120g of butter takes up more volume (125ml) than the same weight of water would (120ml). For a side-by-side look at how other ingredients compare, see the 120 grams to cups page.
If You're Using a Metric or Imperial Cup
The 0.53 cup figure above uses the US Customary cup (236.588ml). Recipes written outside the US sometimes use a metric cup (250ml) or an imperial (uk) cup (284.131ml) instead. At 120g, that's ½ metric cups or ½ imperial cups of butter, close to the US figure but not identical. The cup standard switch in the converter above recalculates this instantly for any gram amount.
Scaling This 120g Amount
Doubling a recipe that calls for 120g of butter means weighing 240g, or measuring 1.06 cups if you're working by volume instead of weight. Halving it means 60g, or 0.26 cups. Weight scales exactly with simple multiplication; cup measurements compound any scooping error each time they're doubled or halved, so weighing is more reliable the more a recipe is scaled.
Butter Next to Other Fats & Oils
Within fats & oils, density still varies by ingredient. At 120g, vegetable oil (218g per cup) measures ½ cup, while olive oil (216g per cup) measures ½ cup, compared to ½ cup for butter. Swapping ingredients in a recipe by cup measurement alone, without adjusting for this difference, changes the actual weight used.
Where This Amount Shows Up in Recipes
- Most cookie recipes call for 227g (1 cup, or 2 sticks) of butter.
- A pound cake typically uses 227g to match its name.
- Pie crusts often need 113g (1 stick) per single crust.
Measuring This Precisely
Fats & Oils
Press solid fats like butter into the cup to remove air pockets, then level the top. Liquid oils should be poured to the marked line at eye level.
For exact results
Room-temperature butter measures more consistently than cold butter, since cold butter can leave small gaps when pressed into a cup. For melted butter, measure the volume after melting, not before, since melting slightly changes how it fills a cup.
For every gram amount at once, the butter conversion chart lists butter across the full range from 1g to 1000g in one table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 120 grams of butter in cups exactly?+
120 grams of butter equals 0.53 cups, based on a density of 227g per cup.
Why doesn't 120g of butter match a simple fraction?+
120g isn't a multiple of butter's per-cup weight, so the cup value lands between common fractions. The closest practical measure is ½ cup.
What's the most reliable way to measure 120g of butter?+
A kitchen scale set to grams gives an exact 120g reading. Cups only approximate this amount, since ½ cup rounds to the nearest practical fraction.
Is 120g likely a typo for a rounder amount?+
Possibly, if a recipe seems to expect a cleaner number. Check the nearby amounts table below for the closest common gram values for butter.