Cuban Cafe Con Leche [Cuban Coffee With Milk]

Last updated on October 24th, 2023 at 15:17

Cuban cafe con leche is easy to make at home with this easy recipe! This article digs into and details the very popular Cuban coffee with milk.

Keep reading and make it…at your own pleasure!

What Is Cuban Cafe Con Leche? 

Cuban café con leche, which means Cuban coffee with milk is a coffee beverage that has its origins in Spain and is enjoyed all over Latin America. In Latin America the drink varies slightly from region to region.

For Cubans, it’s enjoyed with a strong Cuban espresso, typically Café Bustelo, a scalded milk and sugar.

This Cuban coffee is a very popular coffee drink in the mornings, afternoons and evenings.

Read: Cafe con leche recipe

What Do You Need To Make Cuban Cafe Con Leche?

To make this Cuban coffee it is best that you have an espresso machine. If you don’t own a home espresso maker, a moka pot, Aeropress or French press coffee maker will be able to get you the quality strong coffee that you need.

Brewed coffee is not strong enough to make this very satisfying morning coffee drink.

If you need to use a moka pot to make the coffee, heat the water for the water chamber to 70C (158F) before you start brewing at a medium-high heat. While you are heating the water to 70C (158F) fill the coffee chamber with finely-ground cuban coffee.

Although technically Puerto Rican, Café Bustelo is a popular choice among Cubans.

Read: Is café Bustelo Cuban or Puerto Rican

How To Make Cuban Café Con Leche

Start by making your shot of Cuban espresso. Café Bustelo is a favorite, Mayorga Cuban coffee, and La Llave coffee are top choices too.

If you are using a moka pot, fill your coffee maker with preheated water that is 158F (70C). and Cuban-style ground espresso coffee.

Then steam your milk and make scalded milk. Scalded milk is as hot milk that is steamed to the highest that it can be steamed to without frothing.

If you don’t have a steaming wand, heat your milk in a saucepan to just below the boiling point. You’ll see it bubbling around the edge.

Pour your coffee into your coffee cup and then add your scalded milk in equal amounts. If you want a stronger coffee flavor, use more coffee than you do milk, which is known as a Cuban café con leche oscuro.

If you prefer a lighter coffee flavor, use more milk, a drink known as a Cuban café con leche clarita.

What Does Cuban Cafe Con Leche Taste Like?

Cuban espresso is dark, rich, strong and intensely aromatic. With scalded milk and sugar added it tastes amazing!

Is Cuban Coffee Strong?

Yes, Cuban coffee is intensely strong and full of flavor. Cuban coffee is roasted to a very dark roast typically a French or Italian roast. This is why sugar is used to tone down the overpowering taste.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cuban Cafe Con Leche

What Makes Cuban Coffee Different?

Cuban coffee is a special blend of two different coffee grounds, both of which are top-quality arabica grounds and robusta grounds. Without the exact blend, a rich thick crema will not form.

It is also common in Cuban coffee to be made with demerara sugar, a type of raw brown sugar. It’s added straight to the coffee during its preparation.

What Flavor Is Cafe Con Leche?

Café con leche is not something that you will find too often on American cafe menus. It is very similar to a latte and easily mistaken for one but has a more prominent espresso taste. Made with creamy scalded milk there is a rich creamy mouthfeel.

What’s The Difference Between Cappuccino And Café Con Leche?

Both of these drinks are very similar and made with an espresso shot, and milk. A cappuccino is made with the espresso shot, steamed milk and foam in a 1:1:1 ratio.

A café con leche is a coffee drink with a shot of espresso and scalded milk in equal amounts, equal ratios but unlike a cappuccino no foam is added on top of the milk.

Read: How to make cafe con leche

What’s The Difference Between Cortado And Café Con Leche?

Both these drinks are different, very different even though they look similar. A café con leche is a coffee with milk that is made with a single shot of espresso with an equal amount of milk.

A cortado is made with a double shot of espresso and an equal amount of steamed milk. The French café noisette is very similar to a cortado.

What Is A Café Con Leche In America?

A café con leche is not a popular drink in America and not one that you will see too often on the drinks’ menu. The closest you will get is a latte, which is a cup of coffee that is made with a shot of espresso and steamed milk, using twice as much steamed milk as there is coffee.

Is Café Con Leche An Espresso?

Yes, it is a milk based espresso beverage with espresso and scalded milk in equal ratios.

Final Thoughts – Cuban Cafe Con Leche

I hope that you enjoyed making your Cuban cafe con leche and made it with some real good Cuban coffee grounds!

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location