Cappuccino with a Deep Foam Cap
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
A double espresso under well-aerated steamed milk, finished with a domed cap of thick white foam, roughly a third each of espresso, milk and foam.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Pull the shot. Pull a double espresso, 18 g in and about 40 ml out in 25-30 s, straight into the warm cup.
- 2
Aerate. Purge the wand, then hold its tip just under the surface of the cold milk and open the steam fully. Keep it high so the milk hisses and swells by about half, stopping once the jug no longer feels cold. Air goes in while the milk is cool, because cold proteins hold foam best.
- 3
Heat. Lower the tip slightly and let the milk spin until the jug is too hot to hold for more than a second, 60-65 °C. Hotter milk tastes flat and the foam collapses.
- 4
Polish. Tap the jug firmly on the counter and swirl to pop any large bubbles.
- 5
Pour and top. Pour the milk into the espresso, then spoon the thick foam over the top in a generous dome. Aim for roughly a third each of espresso, milk and foam.
Storage
Serve immediately; foam starts to separate within minutes. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
4 g protein for 79 kcal = 5.1 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 20% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low salt: 0.1 g salt per 100 ml (limit ≤ 0.3 g)
Per 100 ml of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 146 ml a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Caffeine · Free sugars
- Per serving: about 85 mg caffeine (serving: 1 cappuccino (double espresso, 40 ml)). Source: 40 ml espresso × USDA FDC SR Legacy #171891 (espresso, 212 mg/100 g).
- Scaling: making more servings does not change the caffeine in each serving; what counts is how many servings you drink in a day. 1 serving: 85 mg · 2 servings: 170 mg · 3 servings: 255 mg (above EFSA 200 mg at once) · 4 servings: 340 mg (above EFSA 200 mg at once).
- General guideline: EFSA Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015): for healthy adults, up to 200 mg in a single dose and up to 400 mg per day do not raise safety concerns. 1 serving = 21 % of 400 mg. EFSA
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- espresso machine with steam wand
- burr grinder
- digital scale
- tamper
- timer
- milk jug (350 ml)
- thermometer (optional)
- preheated cup (about 180 ml)
- spoon
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 79 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 6.6 g |
| of which sugars | 6.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 4.1 g |
| of which saturates | 2.3 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Salt | 0.15 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.1 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
