How do you measure a cup of butter?

Question

I live in Aus but have a few American cook books and instead of ounces or grams it always uses cups which is fine for dry or liquid ingredients but when it says a cup of butter whats the easiest way to measure....literally cram it in there??? The butter is generally not the shape of the cup and sometimes I want to keep it chilled so cant soften it to make it fit! Or is there an easy way where you know that a cup equates to a certain number of ounces or grams?? The butter generally doesnt fit t

Update:

We dont have sticks of butter in Aus, I buy it in 500g packs (just over a pound) but thanks for the other answers re ounces equivelant

? · Accepted Answer

1 pound of butter is 2 cups, always.

Anonymous · Answer

Put 1 cup of cold water in a 2-cup measuring cup.  Add butter until the water level reaches 2 cups.

Lynda · Answer

Displacement.

If you have a four cup measure.  (Pyrex makes them of clear glass and I have always used the same measuring device for both liquids and dry ingredients.   

First fill measuring cup up to the 2 cup mark with cold tap water.  Then drop in butter until water level rises to the 3 cup level.  Then you will have 1 cup of butter.  Just scoop butter out of the water.

margie k · Answer

Each stick of butter is 1/2 cup, or two cups to a pound of butter. Hope this helps !

Anonymous · Answer

RE:
How do you measure a cup of butter?
I live in Aus but have a few American cook books and instead of ounces or grams it always uses cups which is fine for dry or liquid ingredients but when it says a cup of butter whats the easiest way to measure....literally cram it in there???  The butter is generally not the shape of the cup and...

annazzz1966 · Answer

1 cup = 8 ounces (oz)
2 sticks = 1 cup
225 grams = 1 cup

You can soften the butter and fill a measuring cup completely full and then level it off with the back to a knife. Don't melt it completely into a liquid unless the recipe calls for that.

tlcats · Answer

Use a 2 cup measure. Put in one cup of cold water, then put in the butter until the water line reaches "2 cups" Pur off teh water and you will have exactly one cup of butter in the cup.

Beth · Answer

If you buy butter by the pound and it comes in 4 sticks then use two sticks for a cup.  Each stick is a half cup.

Anonymous · Answer

1 cup Melted butter = 8 ounces (liquid) = 1 cup Solid butter = 8 ounces (weight)

It is a straight across conversion

BIG · Answer

just leave the butter out of the fridge in a covered bowl -- let it soften and then cram it in the cup and top it off.  That is a cup of butter.  (that's how I was taught)

How do you measure a cup of butter?

13 Answers