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How many espresso drops should I add to sugar to make the foam?

You should use equal amounts of sugar and espresso drops to make espuma. For example, in the recipe above, you should add 3 tablespoons of espresso to the small bowl to make the foam.

Is Cuban coffee strong?

Yes. Cuban coffee is one of the strongest coffees, such as espresso and Turkish coffee. But it also has lighter milky versions, cortadito and café con leche.

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Cuban Coffee Recipe

Category:Beverage
Cuisine:Cuban
Serving:4
Cook Time:10 minutes
Prep Time:10 minutes
Author:Emine Aslan
Calories: 26

How about making Café Cubano at home? Below is the recipe for this Cuban-type espresso. Enjoy it!

Tags: Cuban coffee recipe

Cuban Coffee Recipe

Cuban coffee, also known as Cuban espresso, is a type of sweetened espresso which originated in Cuba. It has many other names besides Cuban coffee and espresso, such as Café Cubano, cafecito, Cuban pull, and Cuban shot.

Cuban espresso can be made using an automatic espresso machine or a stovetop espresso maker, Moka pot. Coffee beans should be dark roasted and ground very finely, an espresso grind.

Since Cuban coffee is made with dark roast coffee beans, it tastes very strong and bitter. That’s why it is sweetened with sugary foam called espuma or espumita, made by whipping sugar and the first few drops of espresso. So, it has a rich and sweet taste in the end.

Cuban people originally used to make Cuban espresso using brown sugar. But today, granulated sugar is also used a lot, but brown sugar still creates a thicker foam.

Besides the one described in this recipe, there are three different versions of Cuban espresso. Colada is 4-6 shots of Cuban coffee served in a big styrofoam cup. It comes with some small plastic cups, and is meant to be shared among friends. Colada is very common in South Florida and is the symbol of camaraderie.

The other two versions, cortadito and café con leche, are Cuban coffee served with steamed milk, cortadito being with less milk than café con leche. Café con leche is mostly served at breakfast, along with slices of buttered Cuban toast.

Now let’s move on to the recipe below and learn how to make Cuban coffee at home!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons ground coffee, dark roast, very fine (espresso grind size)

  • 9 ounces water, filtered or bottled, if tap water is low quality

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • Espresso maker, preferably Moka pot

  • 4 demitasse coffee cups (tacitas)

Directions

  1. Set up your Moka pot and start brewing espresso. If you are a first-time user, you can click on this link to learn how to make coffee in a Moka pot.

  2. Put the sugar in a small bowl and add the first drops of espresso from the espresso maker to the sugar.

  3. Let the espresso maker continue brewing espresso.

  4. Whisk the sugar and espresso drops in the small bowl until you have a pale and thick foam. It takes at least one minute of vigorous whisking. You can use an electric mixer to do so.

  5. Once the espresso is ready, pour it into coffee cups and top it with espumita, the honey-colored foam you have made.

  6. Enjoy your homemade Cuban coffee!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 tacita
Amount/​Serving
% Daily Value
Calories per serving
26
Carbs
6.6 grams
2
Fat
0 grams
0
Protein
0 grams
0
Sodium
4 milligrams
0
Cholesterol
0 milligrams
0
Fiber
0 grams
0
Extras
  • HOW TO SERVE CUBAN COFFEE:

    Like regular espresso, Cuban espresso is served in demitasse cups called tacitas, and traditionally, it is drunk after a meal.