How to halve a recipe with one egg
Divide the egg by weight and keep the rest of a small-batch bake in proportion.
Halving a recipe is straightforward until the list reaches one egg. If the whole egg goes into the original mixture, you can split it after cracking. Place a bowl on the scale, set it to zero and crack in the egg. Beat gently with a fork until the yolk and white are evenly mixed. Read the weight, divide it by two and weigh that portion into your mixing bowl.
For example, if the beaten egg weighs 52 grams, use 26 grams for the half batch. Weigh the egg you actually have. Eggs from the same carton can vary, and a named size describes a category rather than an identical weight for every egg. A recipe calling for separate whites and yolks needs each part divided separately.
Check the ingredient list again before you mix. A small measurement like half of ¼ teaspoon is ⅛ teaspoon, so find that spoon first or weigh the ingredient if the recipe supplies a suitable precise weight. For cookies, keep the original portion size to get roughly half as many cookies with similar thickness.
A cake needs a further decision. Pour half the batter into the original pan and the layer gets shallower. Choose a pan with about half the base area to preserve depth when the shapes have straight sides. Keep the recipe’s oven temperature and watch for the same visual cues as the original.
