How to make a Cuban cortadito at home
Strong sweet coffee and hot milk: the Miami afternoon in a small glass.
AI-generated photo.
I grew up on Italian coffee, and then I moved to Miami and met the cortadito. It's Cuban coffee with sugar whipped into a light foam, called espumita, cut with roughly equal parts of hot milk.
For 2 small cortaditos
- About 120 ml (½ cup) of strong coffee from a moka pot or espresso machine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- About 120 ml (½ cup) of whole or evaporated milk
The method
- Put the sugar in a small heatproof cup.
- Start brewing. As soon as the first few drops of strong coffee appear, add about 1 teaspoon to the sugar.
- Beat the sugar and coffee hard with a spoon until pale and thick, for about a minute.
- Stir the rest of the hot coffee into the sugar paste. A light foam should rise to the top.
- Warm and froth the milk.
- Pour into two small glasses and top with the milk.
Good to know
Finely ground dark-roast coffee is traditional, and Cuban-style brands are easy to find in many US supermarkets. Sweetness is part of the drink, but you can use less sugar and still make the foam.