What Is Café Cubano? Cuban Espresso and the Sweet "Espumita" Foam
Café cubano (Cuban coffee) is a short, very strong espresso-style coffee sweetened by vigorously whipping sugar with the first few drops of coffee to create a pale, sweet foam called espumita, then adding the rest of the coffee. It's often made at home in a moka pot and served in tiny cups.
What it is
Small, intensely strong and sweet — Cuban coffee is meant to be sipped in a few mouthfuls. The magic is the espumita (also espuma or crema): sugar beaten with a little concentrated coffee until it turns into a light caramel-colored paste that floats on top as a sweet foam.
Where it comes from
Coffee has been grown and drunk in Cuba since the 18th century, and the sweet espresso style became central to daily life in Cuba and in Cuban communities abroad, especially in Miami. It's as much a social ritual as a drink — a colada is shared among friends or coworkers.
What it tastes like
Bold, dark-roasted coffee with a thick, sweet, almost caramel layer. The sugar is part of the drink, not an add-on, and it balances the bitterness of the dark roast.
How to make café cubano with a moka pot
| Ingredient | 3–4 tiny cups |
|---|---|
| Dark roast coffee, fine grind | Enough for a 3-cup moka pot (~16 g) |
| Water | Fill to the valve |
| White sugar | 2–3 tbsp (to taste) |
- Fill the moka pot as usual — see how much coffee for a moka pot.
- Put the sugar in a small jug or cup.
- Heat the pot. When the first few teaspoons of coffee appear, pour them onto the sugar and return the pot to the heat.
- Whip the sugar and coffee vigorously with a spoon for 1–2 minutes until it becomes a pale, thick paste.
- When the rest of the coffee has brewed, pour it into the jug and stir gently. The espumita rises to the top.
- Serve in small cups.
Tip: use only a little coffee for whipping — too much liquid and it won't foam.
Cuban coffee drinks
| Drink | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cafecito / café cubano | One small sweet shot |
| Colada | A larger serving in a cup with tiny plastic cups for sharing |
| Cortadito | Café cubano topped with steamed or warm milk |
| Café con leche | Cuban coffee poured into a cup of hot milk, often with buttered toast |
Tips
- Dark roast gives the classic flavor — see light vs dark roast.
- Demerara or brown sugar works, but white sugar makes the palest, thickest espumita.
- Electric frother shortcut: a handheld frother whips the sugar paste faster.
Similar drinks
- Café bombón — espresso with sweetened condensed milk
- Dalgona coffee — whipped instant coffee and sugar
- Cortado — the unsweetened Spanish cousin of the cortadito
Frequently asked questions
What is espumita?
A sweet foam made by whipping sugar with the first drops of coffee; it floats on top of Cuban coffee.
Do I need an espresso machine for Cuban coffee?
No — most people make it at home with a moka pot.
Is Cuban coffee very strong?
Yes. It's served in small cups but tastes very concentrated and is usually made with dark roast.
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