Egg Sizes in Recipes: Small, Medium, Large & Jumbo

Nearly every baking recipe means large eggs unless it says otherwise. Egg size is standardized by weight, and using the wrong size throws off the liquid balance of a recipe — especially in cakes and custards where eggs do a lot of work.

Egg sizes by weight

These are the weights of a whole egg without the shell:

• Small: about 38 g
• Medium: about 44 g
• Large: about 50 g (the recipe standard)
• Extra-large: about 56 g
• Jumbo: about 63 g

A large egg is roughly 3 tablespoons of egg — about 2 tbsp white and 1 tbsp yolk.

Substituting sizes

For one or two eggs, size rarely matters enough to fuss over. For three or more, adjust:

• Recipe wants 3 large, you have medium: use 4 medium.
• Recipe wants 3 large, you have jumbo: use 2 jumbo plus a little extra, or weigh to 150 g total.
• Recipe wants 4 large, you have extra-large: use 3 to 4 and weigh to about 200 g.

Why it matters most in baking

In scrambled eggs or an omelet, size is irrelevant. In a sponge cake, eggs provide structure, lift, and moisture in a careful balance — too much or too little egg and the cake sinks or dries. When in doubt, weigh: 50 g of beaten egg per large egg, every time. To resize a whole recipe at once, use the recipe scaler.