What To Do When Your Recipe Doesn't Specify Egg Size

If you've ever been preparing to bake a decadent chocolate cake or classic zucchini bread, only to discover the egg size listed on the recipe isn't specific, we feel your frustration. It can be overwhelming to see a variety of small, medium, large, extra large, and jumbo-sized eggs at the store, while the recipe vaguely lists "eggs." However, the good news is, in most cases you can pick up a carton of large eggs for the job. With some very specific exceptions (looking at you, Ina Garten), most recipes across the internet and in cookbooks are designed with large eggs in mind.

Egg size is an important consideration, since eggs play a variety of crucial roles in baking recipes — from hydration to binding to aeration. Since making cookie dough or cake batter is heavily about the chemistry of the ingredients, using small eggs instead of large could make your cookies dry or lacking in flavor. Eggs serve as a key portion of the liquid ingredients in a cake batter recipe, so not using an ample quantity could lead to a deflated cake — especially in high altitude climates, where extra moisture is required to give baked goods their rise and fine crumb. Alternately, using jumbo eggs in a recipe developed with large eggs could make the baked product too eggy, resulting in a spongey texture. So, when in doubt, go with large eggs for your baking recipe, since it's the common choice of most bakers and baking recipes.

If you're still tempted to swap small eggs for the large eggs listed (or implied) in a recipe, think twice before proceeding. Perhaps contrary to popular belief, eggs are not measured and weighed individually before packaging them. Instead, the USDA determines egg size according to the weight of a carton of a dozen eggs. With this in mind, since a carton of large eggs is equivalent to 24 ounces, an egg that qualifies as "large" should weigh in about 2 ounces (about 57 grams, or a liquid quarter cup), give or take. Small eggs, which come in an 18-ounce container, should weigh about 1.5 ounces each. If your recipe calls for a few eggs, that weight discrepancy could certainly make a difference if you use the wrong eggs.

Out of all the prepping tips you need before you even start baking – including bringing eggs to room temperature — making sure you have the correct ingredient quantities is important. So, if you don't have large eggs on hand for baking, instead of cutting corners, break out the cooking scale or liquid measuring cup. Simply whisk your eggs in a bowl and weigh them to ensure you have enough. Still, don't stress too much. Since most recipes call for large eggs, if you keep this size of eggs on hand, you won't have to worry and weigh your eggs meticulously. That is, unless you want to — be our guest.