One pound of confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) is approximately 3 3/4 cups. This measurement can vary slightly depending on how tightly packed the sugar is, but 3 3/4 cups is a good general guideline.
To provide a bit more detail:
- 1 pound of confectioners’ sugar is roughly 16 ounces.
- Since powdered sugar is light and fluffy, it doesn’t weigh as much per cup as other types of sugar.
- A typical conversion is about 1 cup = 4 ounces of powdered sugar.
Thus, when you divide 16 ounces (in a pound) by 4 ounces per cup, it gives you about 4 cups of powdered sugar.
However, if you’re using sifted powdered sugar, it may weigh slightly less due to the air incorporated during sifting, so it could be closer to 3 3/4 cups.
In short:
- Unsifted powdered sugar: ~4 cups per pound
- Sifted powdered sugar: ~3 3/4 cups per pound