Café Cubano (Cuban Sweet Espresso with Espumita)
Local name: Café cubano
In short: Strong stovetop espresso whipped with sugar into a pale foam, the espumita, then stirred into the coffee for a thick, sweet Cuban shot. It takes about 13 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 13 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 50 kcal
Café cubano is the small, strong, sweet coffee that Cubans drink after meals and throughout the day, in tiny cups passed among friends and coworkers. It is brewed in a stovetop moka pot with the sugar already waiting in a pitcher. The first drops of coffee are whipped with the sugar into a thick, pale foam called espumita, and the rest of the coffee is stirred in. The foam gives the shot a smooth, syrupy body and a golden crema.
Instructions
- Fill the bottom chamber of a stovetop moka pot with water up to the valve. Fill the filter basket with the ground coffee and level it without packing it down.
- Assemble the pot and set it over medium heat with the lid open.
- Put the sugar in a small heatproof pitcher. As soon as the first dark drops of coffee collect in the top chamber, spoon about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of it onto the sugar.
- Whisk the sugar and coffee hard with a spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, until it turns thick, pale and foamy like beige frosting. This is the espumita.
- Let the rest of the coffee finish brewing and take the pot off the heat as soon as it begins to sputter.
- Pour the coffee slowly into the pitcher over the foam and stir gently so the foam streams through. Pour into small cups, giving each one a little foam, and serve hot.
Tips
- No moka pot? Use 4 shots of espresso from a machine. Whip the first shot with the sugar until pale and thick, then stir in the other three.
- Cuban coffee is traditionally made from dark-roast, finely ground beans. A blend labeled for espresso gives the right strength.
Questions and answers
What is espumita?
Espumita means little foam. It is made by whipping the first drops of coffee with sugar until pale and thick, then stirring it into the rest of the coffee for a sweet, creamy top.
How is café cubano different from espresso?
It is brewed on the stovetop and sweetened during brewing using the foam method. The result is sweeter and more syrupy, and it is served in tiny cups.
How much caffeine is in café cubano?
A small cup holds roughly 40 to 70 mg of caffeine, similar to a shot of espresso. It is strong, so it is served in very small portions.
How long does it take to make Café Cubano (Cuban Sweet Espresso with Espumita)?
About 13 min in total: 5 min of preparation and 8 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Café Cubano (Cuban Sweet Espresso with Espumita)?
About 50 kcal per serving, with 0 g of protein, 13 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 50 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 3 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
