When it comes to baking and cooking, measuring ingredients precisely is crucial for achieving the perfect results. Understanding common baking measurements like cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons allows you to accurately follow recipes. One of the most frequently used ingredients in baking is butter. So how many tablespoons are in two thirds cup of butter? Let’s take a closer look at butter measurements and conversions.
Quick Answer
Two thirds cup of butter is equal to 10 tablespoons.
Butter Measurement Conversions
Butter can be measured by weight in ounces and grams or by volume in cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. Here are the common butter measurements:
| 1 cup butter | = 8 ounces = 227 grams |
| 2⁄3 cup butter | = 10 tablespoons |
| 1⁄3 cup butter | = 5 tablespoons |
| 1⁄4 cup butter | = 4 tablespoons |
| 2 tablespoons butter | = 1 ounce = 28 grams |
| 1 tablespoon butter | = 0.5 ounce = 14 grams |
| 1 teaspoon butter | = 1/3 tablespoon = 4.6 grams |
As you can see, two thirds cup of butter equals 10 tablespoons. Knowing this conversion will help you when substituting butter measurements in recipes.
Cup to Tablespoon Butter Conversions
Here is a more detailed breakdown of how many tablespoons are in fractional cup measurements of butter:
- 1 cup butter = 16 tablespoons
- 3⁄4 cup butter = 12 tablespoons
- 2⁄3 cup butter = 10 tablespoons
- 1⁄2 cup butter = 8 tablespoons
- 1⁄3 cup butter = 5 tablespoons
- 1⁄4 cup butter = 4 tablespoons
As you can see, the number of tablespoons doubles as you go from 1⁄4 cup to 1⁄2 cup to 1 cup. This handy conversion chart allows you to easily substitute butter amounts in baking recipes.
Why Accuracy Matters in Baking
When it comes to baking, being precise with ingredient measurements really matters. Here’s why:
- Baking is a science – Recipes are formulated with the right ratios of ingredients to produce the desired chemical reactions.
- Too much or too little of a key ingredient will throw the chemistry off.
- Even small measurement errors can cause big differences in the final baked good.
- Not accurately measuring wet and dry ingredients like butter, flour, and sugar will alter the batter or dough consistency.
- The texture, rise, and flavor of baked goods relies on following measurements closely.
Simply put, improper ingredient amounts can lead to baking disasters. Cupcakes that are dry instead of moist, cookies that are flat rather than puffy, cakes with poor rise – all can result from inaccurate measurements.
Tips for Measuring Butter Accurately
Here are some tips to help you measure butter properly for recipes:
- Use measuring cups and spoons, not regular kitchen cups or cutlery.
- Level off ingredients – use a straight edge like a butter knife to sweep off excess.
- When a recipe calls for softened or melted butter, don’t substitute cold, hard butter.
- Pack brown sugar tightly into a cup when measuring, don’t just scoop.
- Measure over a mixing bowl to catch any spills for adding to the batter.
- Use proper fractions – 1⁄3 cup not 1⁄4 cup, 1⁄2 teaspoon not 1 teaspoon.
- Double check quantities, especially of baking powder and baking soda.
Adopting more meticulous measuring techniques makes a big difference. The time taken to properly measure ingredients always pays off with superior baking results.
How to Soften Butter for Baking
Many baking recipes call for softened or room temperature butter. Softened butter creams together easily with sugar to produce the right texture. Here are some tips for softening butter properly:
- Take refrigerated butter out ahead of time – at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Leave wrapped butter sticks at room temperature on the counter.
- Unwrap butter and cut into tablespoons for faster softening.
- Don’t try to soften butter in the microwave – it can melt unevenly.
- Check consistency by pressing gently with a finger.
- Butter is properly softened when it indents slightly but doesn’t smear.
- Over softened butter will ruin the batter or dough texture.
With the right timeframe and method, you can easily soften refrigerated butter to the ideal consistency for creaming and baking.
How to Measure Butter Sticks
When a recipe calls for a fraction of a cup of butter, the easiest way is to measure right from a stick. Here’s how to measure butter sticks properly:
- Use a ruler to mark off the inches on the wrapper equal to the fraction needed – 1⁄2 inch for 1⁄2 cup, 3⁄4 inch for 3⁄4 cup, etc.
- Trim off the end of the stick directly at the measurement line with a sharp knife.
- This leaves a pre-portioned amount of butter ready to use in the recipe.
Doing it this way eliminates dirtying and washing extra measuring cups. However, the accuracy depends on cutting the butter stick precisely at the right measurement.
Weighing Butter for Accuracy
For maximum precision, weighing butter in grams is even better than measuring by volume. A kitchen scale takes the guesswork out of fractions. Here are some benefits of weighing butter:
- Volume measures can be packed differently each time.
- Scale measurements are extremely precise down to the gram.
- Converting butter recipes by weight is easy with a gram to cup conversion chart.
- Scales help achieve consistent baking results every time.
Investing in a good digital kitchen scale can really level up your baking skills. Weighing out ingredients offers reliability that cup measurements simply can’t match.
Substituting Butter in Baking
There may be times when you want to substitute for butter in recipes to accommodate dietary needs or what you have on hand. Here are some suitable substitutions:
- Coconut oil – Has similar properties to butter and adds gentle coconut flavor.
- Applesauce – Replaces half the butter to make baked goods moister.
- Mashed banana – Works well in cakes, muffins, and quick breads.
- Vegetable oil – The neutral flavor works in most recipes as a 1:1 swap.
- Nut butters – For a peanut or almond butter twist.
When substituting for butter, you may need to tweak other ingredients like milk or leavening to achieve the right consistency. But with some trial and error, you can adapt recipes to use handy ingredient swaps.
Storing Butter Properly
To keep butter fresh and usable for as long as possible, proper storage is key. Here are some storage tips:
- Keep butter tightly wrapped at all times.
- Store opened sticks in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate butter for up to 3 months.
- Freeze for longer storage – up to 9 months.
- Let refrigerated butter soften on the counter before using.
- Avoid repeated softening and re-chilling.
With air-tight storage in the fridge or freezer, butter stays fresher longer compared to sitting in a dish on the counter. Proper storage prevents butter from absorbing other flavors or going rancid too quickly.
Butter Baking Tips and Tricks
Here are some additional tips for baking with butter:
- Use unsalted butter if the recipe doesn’t specify – you control the salt.
- Cream butter thoroughly with sugar for light cakes.
- Minimize overmixing once flour is added to avoid tough baked goods.
- Brush pie crusts with melted butter before baking for flakiness.
- Cut cold butter into dry ingredients when making biscuits or scones by hand.
- Fold melted butter into whipped eggs for rich pound cakes.
Mastering techniques for creaming, cutting, and melting butter can elevate your baking skills. Butter adds unmatched flavor, moisture, and texture when used properly.
Butter Equivalents and Conversions
Here are some more handy butter measurement equivalents and conversions:
- 1 cup = 2 sticks
- 1 stick = 1⁄2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
- 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
- 8 tablespoons = 1⁄2 cup = 4 ounces
Whether you need to divide or multiply butter measurements, these useful equivalents have you covered. Keep them handy when substituting butter quantities in recipes.
The Role of Fat in Baking
Butter is more than just delicious flavor in baked goods – the fat also performs several crucial roles:
- Tenderizes – Fats like butter coat flour proteins for a tender, moist crumb.
- Leavens – Butter creates air pockets that help batters and doughs rise.
- Flavors – Provides rich, creamy, mouth-watering taste.
- Flakiness – Butter layers create flaky biscuits, scones, pie crusts.
- Richness – Butter adds moisture for fudgy brownies, luscious frosting.
When baking recipes like cookies, cakes, pastries and more, butter is unmatched in its ability to create the perfect texture and mouthfeel. Other fats like oil can’t replicate everything that butter brings to the table.
Butter versus Margarine in Baking
Traditional butter and margarine have slightly different properties when baking:
- Butter has more fat (80% compared to 80-100% fat in margarine).
- Margarine is vegetable oil-based, butter is dairy.
- Butter has a richer flavor while margarine is more neutral.
- Margarine used to contain trans fats, but most products are now trans fat-free.
- Both can usually be substituted 1:1 in recipes.
- Adjust baking time as margarine may brown faster than butter.
When choosing between butter and margarine, let taste preferences and dietary needs guide you. Margarine works fine for most everyday baking uses.
Healthier Butter Alternatives
For those monitoring saturated fat and cholesterol, there are some healthier butter stand-ins:
- Avocado – Creamy texture and rich flavor but with the benefit of monounsaturated fats.
- Nut butters – Almond butter is a tasty swap higher in unsaturated fats.
- Greek yogurt – Provides moisture and tangy flavor in place of some butter.
- Cottage cheese – Pureed cottage cheese works well in pancakes, quick breads, and cakes.
With some tweaking, you can create healthier baked goods that don’t sacrifice too much in taste by using healthy fats. For the occasional treat though, real butter is tough to beat!
Butter versus Oil in Baking
Butter and oil both add needed fat to recipes but impart slightly different results:
- Butter provides richer flavor while oil tastes neutral.
- Butter turns baked goods golden brown but oil results in a paler color.
- Oil makes a more tender, moister crumb compared to butter.
- Butter gives cookies crisp edges versus softer edges with oil.
- Butter is better for laminating into doughs for flaky layers.
The moisture and richness of butter can’t quite be replicated by oil. But in a pinch, substituting a neutral oil often works fine. Take note of any texture and visual changes.
Measuring Butter by Weight
For the most accurate and consistent baking results, weighing out butter in grams is best. Here are some weight conversions:
- 1 cup butter = 8 ounces = 227 grams
- 2⁄3 cup butter = 5.3 ounces = 150 grams
- 1⁄2 cup butter = 4 ounces = 113 grams
- 1⁄3 cup butter = 2.7 ounces = 75 grams
- 1⁄4 cup butter = 2 ounces = 56 grams
- 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce = 28 grams
Investing in a kitchen scale allows you to precisely measure butter and other ingredients by weight. This removes the variance of packing butter into cups differently each time.
Volume versus Weight in Baking
There are pros and cons to measuring baking ingredients by volume versus weight:
- Volume – Widely used recipe format; Easy to measure cups and spoons.
- Volume Cons – Packed amount varies; Not as precise.
- Weight – Very precise; Consistent results; Better for advanced baking.
- Weight Cons – Kitchen scale required; Some find metric grams confusing.
For casual everyday baking, volume measures work fine and are convenient. But for the highest level of precision, nothing beats weighing out ingredients by grams or ounces.
Conclusion
When it comes to baking, every tablespoon and teaspoon truly makes a difference. Understanding how many tablespoons are in fractional cup measurements of butter – like the 2⁄3 cup called for in many recipes – allows you to accurately portion ingredients. While 10 tablespoons for 2⁄3 cup of butter may seem simple, taking the time to level off and measure properly leads to delicious baked goods. Along with mastering common butter equivalents and conversions, adopting a more meticulous measuring method helps ensure your cakes, cookies, and pastries turn out fabulous every time.
