So stop making expensive baking mistakes and ruining bad cakes by using the wrong size egg.
Plus I’ve got FREE Kitchen Conversion Charts for you to make it all simple.
If you are new here, you may want to print a copy of the cooking conversion charts. You’ll discover kitchen conversions for metric/imperial, tbsp to ml, temperatures, and even international ingredient names. So no more guessing what a recipe needs.
Are egg sizes important?
Egg sizes are important in baking eggs, cookies, pastries, and cheesecakes, but it doesn’t matter what your egg size is in fried eggs, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, and boiled eggs.
If you use the wrong egg size in a cake, your baking may not be ruined but it won’t turn out as you hoped. You need the correct egg size, because egg size matters, especially in a very large recipe.
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What happens if you use eggs that are too large?
Most recipe development uses medium or large eggs. You need to know egg size equivalents and egg size conversions to know how many fresh eggs to use.
If you use eggs that are too large, there will be too much liquid and too much protein. Your cake batter will be too wet and may take longer to cook, which will result in a dry overcooked cake.
What happens if you use eggs that are too small?
If the eggs you use are too small, there will be less liquid and less protein. Your cake will be dry and not rise as much as using the correct size of eggs.m Nobody wants small dense cakes.
What are US egg sizes?
The American Egg Board states 6 egg sizes. Eggs are actually weighed per dozen (not per egg) so this is why eggs in the same carton of a dozen eggs, some can appear smaller or larger than one another.
- Pewee – 15 oz per dozen (average 1.25 oz = 35g)
- Small – 18 oz (average 1.5 oz = 43g)
- Medium – 21 oz (average 1.75 oz = 50g)
- Large – 24 oz (average 2 oz = 57g)
- Extra large -27 oz (average 2.25 oz = 64g)
- Jumbo – 30 oz (average 2.5 oz = 71g)
Egg size equivalents chart
How many small eggs make a large egg? How many medium eggs equal a large egg? How many large eggs are in a cup?
These helpful egg conversions will show you how to convert egg sizes into recipes.
For example, if a recipe calls for five medium eggs, you can also use 4 large eggs, 4 extra-large eggs, or 4 jumbo eggs.
| MEDIUM | LARGE | X-LARGE | JUMBO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
How many eggs are in a cup charts
How many medium eggs are in one cup? How many egg whites are in one cup? How many egg yolks are in one cup? What is the liquid measurement of egg yolks?
If you are measuring liquid eggs you need to know how many egg yolks or liquid egg whites you need. Recipes will often refer to “egg whites 1 cup”, for example. You can use liquid egg whites from 8 medium eggs, 7 large eggs, 6 extra-large eggs, or 5 jumbo eggs.
| SIZE | WHOLE EGGS | WHITES | YOLKS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jumbo | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| X-large | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| Large | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| Medium | 5 | 8 | 16 |
| Small | 6 | 9 | 18 |
What are egg sizes around the world?
Each country has its own way to grade egg sizes. These are the sizes of a “medium” egg in different countries. Some countries state a minimum weight per egg, others state a weight range.
- Medium eggs in Australia are 43g
- Medium eggs in Canada are 49g
- Medium eggs in Europe are 53g
- Medium eggs (size 5/6) in New Zealand are 44g – 53g
- Medium eggs in the USA are 50g
Best egg substitutes
Egg substitutes are essential for those who are allergic to eggs. They may not work as well as a fresh natural egg in baking but can be used in most cookies, cakes, and pastries.
Low-carb keto egg substitutes
- Carbonated water: 1 egg = 1/4 cup of carbonated water
- Chia seed egg: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon chia seeds mixed with 1 – 2 tablespoons of water
- Flaxseed egg: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 1 – 2 tablespoons of water
- Oil, water, baking powder egg: 1 egg = 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoon water,
Higher carb egg substitutes
- Apple sauce egg: 1 egg = 1/4 cup apple sauce
- Arrowroot egg: 1 egg = 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
- Banana egg: 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed banana
- Chickpea egg (aquafaba): 1 egg = 3 tablespoons of chickpea water from an unsalted chickpea can
Egg 101 (Egg FAQ)
If you are making baked cooked or cook egg dishes that require a large number of eggs (such as a cake or cheesecake), then knowing egg size equivalents are important. If you use too many eggs, the baked dishes may taste eggy. If you are making egg dishes (such as a quiche) then the texture may not be what you expected.
To tell if an egg is fresh, place one egg into a glass of water. If it sits sideways at the bottom it is fresh. If it points up, it may not be as fresh but can still be eaten. If it floats, this indicates air has been absorbed so has probably gone bad and should be thrown away.
Eggs should always be stored in a cool, dark, dry area and used before their expiry date for the “best before” date. Always use older eggs before the newer eggs so you never have out-of-date eggs.
To freeze eggs, crack open the shell and place the liquid eggs into a clean bowl and whisk gently to mix the egg white with the egg yolks. Pour into a clean freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4 months. Label with preparation date and expiry date.
Egg whites can be frozen in clean ice cube containers and then placed in a clean fresh Ziploc bag, labeled, and dated. Freezing egg whites is a quick and easy way to store leftover egg whites
You can store egg yolks in your freezer with the addition of half a teaspoon of salt per 240ml of egg yolks. This stops the egg yolks from going sticky (gelation).
Most recipes call for medium eggs or large eggs. if you use different egg sizes in recipes, just use the egg conversion charts above to know how many extra-large eggs or jumbo eggs you need.
Always collect eggs from backyard chickens twice a day so they are always fresh as they can be. Wash in warm water 20F above egg temperature, and dry. Place in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Label with date collected and expiry date.
Eggs are graded and weighed in their shells. Eggs are weighed by the dozen (or by a set number), then the average weight for each egg is calculated.
Eggs are removed from their shells and measured by the cup. This is called a liquid egg product. You can buy liquid egg whites or liquid egg yolks which are often found in the refrigerator area of your grocery store.
Each country set its own egg size and egg weight grading system. Most have an average weight for their eggs. Some countries set a minimum weight, other countries set a weight range to size eggs.
If a recipe calls for six medium eggs, you can use 5 large eggs or 4 extra-large or jumbo eggs. Other egg size equivalents can be found in the conversion charts above.
References:
- Egg sizing – eggsafety.org
- International egg sizes – Wikipedia egg charts
- NZ egg grades – Farmer Brown, Egg Federation.
- Egg conversions – Incredible egg
- Backyard chicken safety – PDF
- Egg Info UK – freezing eggs
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