Joe's recipe requires 1/4 cup of sugar, 5 tablespoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of salt. If he uses 12 tablespoons of butter, how much sugar does he need
If Joe's recipe requires 5 tablespoons of butter and he uses 12 tablespoons, the ratio of butter used to butter required is 12/5 = 2.4.
Similarly, if the required amount of sugar is 1/4 cup, Joe will need 2.4 times that amount, which is 2.4 * (1/4) = 2.4/4 = <<2.4*1/4=0.6>>0.6 cup of sugar. Answer: \boxed{0.6}.