Who doesn’t love a great cup of cappuccino? Most people confuse cappuccino with a traditional latte. Because it too comes with a perfect combination of steamed milk, espresso, and frothy foam. Guess what? With the help of our recipe, you can now make barista-quality cappuccino in your own kitchen, and if you can perfect our recipe, it’ll taste like something straight out of an Italian café.
Cappuccino, Not Latte
As mentioned, a cappuccino consists of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. The ingredients are very similar to those in the café latte. Where does it make the distinction? The proportions of steamed milk. Let’s look at the breakdown of a cappuccino and a latte.
Cappuccino has 1/3rd espresso, 1/3rd steamed milk, and 1/3rd milk foam.
Latte, on the other hand, has 1/3rd espresso and 2/3rd steamed milk which ends up with a thin layer of foam on top.
Cappuccino’s traditional serving size is 150–180 ml (5–6 fl. oz.).
Latte’s traditional serving size is 240 ml (8–15 fl. oz.). So, a cappuccino is smaller than a regular latte.
Honestly, cappuccino is easier to make and perfect at home. A cappuccino can easily be made with frothed milk.
Picking The Coffee And Milk
For a cappuccino, simply using strong coffee will not cut it! For optimal results, use Espresso Roast for the coffee. It’ll give you the right dark and bitter flavor.
Now, let’s talk about milk.
You should use only fresh milk to make your cappuccino! Older milk does not generate foam even with the best of efforts.
We recommend whole milk, which will give you the best rich, velvety quality for your cup of cappuccino. Because of the highest milk fat content in whole milk, it’s the best. The 2% milk is also recommended, but beware that even though it works fairly well, you’ll lose a bit of the richness.
For vegan recipes, use oat milk for an ideal outcome. It’s the best non-dairy milk to use. It not only froths up but also provides the best flavor.
Equipment
- An espresso maker with a steam wand
- A cappuccino cup (150 ml)
- A milk jug
Ingredients
- A double shot of espresso
- optional sweetener
- 50 mL of milk
Making Cappuccino Step-By-Step
Step 1: Making The Espresso
Even though an espresso machine is the best tool here, we’re not saying that other makers can’t do the job. The Aeropress and French press are also viable options. With an espresso machine, it should take 30 seconds to pull the double shot of espresso. Take your cappuccino cup under the spout and fill 1/3rd of the cup.
Step 2: Milk Frothing And Steaming
Fill up the remaining 1/3 of the milk jug and dip the pre-purged steam wand just under the surface of the milk.
This position will allow the milk to get steamy. While heating up, slowly angle the jug so that the wand almost touches the wall of the jug while keeping the wand almost close to the jug’s bottom. This way, the microfoams will be even all over the body. This whole process can take up to 30 seconds with an espresso machine steam wand.
Note: For those who’ll be using other steaming methods, maintain a strict 150 degrees Fahrenheit for the milk.
For a cappuccino, a good amount of froth is absolutely necessary as it’ll take 1/3 of the cup.
Step 3: Pour And Serve
Now pour the steamed milk over the espresso layer.
Pour the milk froth over the top and serve!
Latte cups are also good for holding the perfect amount of cappuccino. Now, start sipping!
