Coffee Drink
Raf Coffee: Cream, Vanilla Sugar and a Different Steaming Method
Raf coffee is a sweet, vanilla-scented espresso drink made by steaming coffee, light cream and vanilla sugar together. Fine foam runs through the whole drink, giving it a fuller mouthfeel than a milk-based vanilla latte.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 75 mg referenceGeneric prepared espresso, 36 gActual coffee, dose and extraction change caffeine.
- Calories
- Estimated 180 kcalOne hot recipe with the named 10% cream and vanilla sugarCream supplies most of the calories.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 36 g espresso + 120 g (4.2 oz) 10% cream + 8 g (0.28 oz) vanilla sugar
- Made with
- Espresso, 10% cream and vanilla sugar
- Sugar
- 12.6 g total. Includes 5.2 g naturally occurring cream sugar and 7.4 g from vanilla sugar.
- Preparation
- 5 minutes; espresso equipment ready
Estimated nutrition using Arla and Dr. Oetker Professional labels plus USDA espresso composition, checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- Choose Raf for a sweet, vanilla-scented coffee with the fuller mouthfeel of cream.
- Steaming the coffee and cream together gives it fine foam throughout.
- A vanilla latte is the lighter-feeling choice when you would prefer milk to cream.
On This Page11 Sections
What Makes Raf Coffee Different?
Raf combines the coffee, cream and vanilla sugar before steaming. That preparation gives it its identity: it is not simply a latte with cream floating on top. Russian roaster Tasty Coffee describes the drink using espresso, 10% cream and vanilla sugar, heated and aerated together with a steam wand.
There is room for variation. Julius Meinl's published Barista Cup collection includes a competitor's maple Raf using 10% cream, syrup and vanilla sugar. The formula below keeps the vanilla version simple and measures each ingredient.
What Does Raf Coffee Taste Like?
Raf is sweet and vanilla-scented, with fine bubbles spread through a rich coffee-and-cream mixture. The cream gives it a fuller, more lingering mouthfeel than a milk-based vanilla latte. Coffee adds a roasted counterpoint beneath the vanilla, with cocoa-like or other notes depending on the espresso.
I like the ingredients steamed together because the fine bubbles carry coffee and vanilla through the whole sip, giving Raf its uniform, velvety texture.
Raf Coffee Recipe
Use a 200–250 ml (6.8–8.5 US fl oz) cup to leave room for the foam.
Recipe
Vanilla Raf Coffee
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- 5 minutes; equipment ready
Ingredients
- 18 g coffee, ground for espresso
- 120 g (4.2 oz) cold Arla UHT Kaffefløde 10% cream
- 8 g (0.28 oz) Dr. Oetker Professional Bourbon vanilla sugar
Equipment
- Espresso machine with suitable manual steam wand
- Espresso grinder and tamper
- Scale and steaming pitcher sized for this portion
- Thermometer and spoon
- 200–250 ml (6.8–8.5 US fl oz) cup
Method
- Brew 18 g ground coffee to collect 36 g espresso.
- Stir the espresso and 8 g (0.28 oz) vanilla sugar together in a steaming pitcher. Add 120 g (4.2 oz) cold 10% cream.
- Using a manual steam wand approved for mixed ingredients, steam the whole mixture to 60–65°C (140–149°F), making fine foam. Turn off the steam before removing the wand, then clean and purge it promptly as your machine directs.
- Swirl and pour all the mixture into a warmed 200–250 ml (6.8–8.5 US fl oz) cup. Serve promptly.
Estimated nutrition: 180 kcal · 12.6 g total sugar. Per serving with 36 g espresso, 120 g (4.2 oz) Arla 10% cream and 8 g (0.28 oz) Dr. Oetker Professional Bourbon vanilla sugar.
Recipe notes
Contains milk; check vanilla sugar for trace allergens.
Never put the coffee-and-sugar mixture into an automatic milk circuit.
Use plain 10% cream and vanilla sugar for this version. Other 10% creams and vanilla sugars can be used, with their own labels. The sugar reference uses the Dutch Professional 750 g Bourbon vanilla-sugar product.
The espresso method explains the extraction: 18 g is dry coffee and 36 g is collected espresso. Choose a pitcher and wand that can handle this small portion. Follow the equipment's instructions for permitted ingredients, purging and cleaning immediately afterward. Do not pour this mixture into an automatic machine's milk reservoir or closed milk circuit.
The temperature is adapted from Breville's practical dairy-steaming guidance.
Which Cream and Vanilla Sugar Work for Raf Coffee?
Start with unsweetened 10% dairy cream. The fat percentage matters more than the local product name. Heavy whipping cream is considerably richer and should not silently replace it while retaining this recipe's calorie figure. Flavored or sweetened coffee creamers introduce other ingredients and sweetness.
Vanilla sugar is sugar flavored with vanilla. It is not vanilla syrup, vanilla extract or plain sugar in the same quantity. Check the label before measuring, especially if the product is a concentrated baking flavor rather than flavored sugar.
This recipe contains milk. The named Dr. Oetker Professional sugar also carries a may-contain statement for gluten, milk, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and egg. That statement belongs to this particular product; use the packaging of the ingredients you actually buy.
Raf vs. Latte and Breve
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Drink | Dairy and sweetener | Defining preparation |
|---|---|---|
| This Raf | 10% cream and vanilla sugar | Espresso, cream and sugar steamed together |
| Vanilla latte | Milk and vanilla flavoring | Milk steamed separately, then poured into flavored espresso |
| Breve | US half-and-half dairy; sugar optional | Usually prepared as an espresso drink with separately steamed half-and-half |
| Plain latte | Milk; no required sweetener | Steamed milk poured into espresso |
Raf and breve coffee can use dairy with overlapping fat levels. The useful distinction is the combined steaming method and vanilla sugar, rather than a claim that every Raf is richer than every breve. A vanilla latte is the closer choice when you want vanilla flavor with milk instead of cream.
Adjust Raf Coffee Sweetness or Make It Without a Steam Wand
For a less-sweet Raf, combine 36 g espresso, 120 g (4.2 oz) 10% cream and 4 g vanilla sugar, then steam together to 60–65°C (140–149°F) and pour into a 200–250 ml (6.8–8.5 US fl oz) cup. With the same named cream and sugar, the estimate is 165 kcal and 8.9 g total sugar.
Without a suitable steam wand, combine 36 g espresso, 120 g (4.2 oz) cold 10% cream and 8 g (0.28 oz) vanilla sugar in a small pan. Stir and warm gently to 60–65°C (140–149°F) without boiling, then aerate briefly with a handheld frother in a suitable open vessel and pour into a 200–250 ml (6.8–8.5 US fl oz) cup. Follow the frother’s temperature and fill instructions.
For a floral variation, consult the ingredient guidance in lavender latte. Adding a flavored syrup changes both sweetness and the calculation; it is not included in this vanilla Raf recipe.
The Regular Behind Raf Coffee
Coffee Bean founder Jerry Ruditser traces Raf to Rafael, a regular at the company’s Moscow café. In his account, Rafael liked espresso with cream and sugar, and friends began asking for the same drink.
Ruditser recalls that the extras were initially free. As more customers asked for Rafael’s coffee, the café gave the combination its own name and price. The story makes Raf a customer-led addition to the menu, with the regular’s name still attached to the drink.
Raf Coffee Calories, Sugar and Caffeine
For 36 g espresso, 120 g (4.2 oz) Arla 10% cream and 8 g (0.28 oz) Dr. Oetker Professional Bourbon vanilla sugar, the estimate is 180 kcal and 12.6 g total sugar, with 75 mg reference caffeine. Cream and vanilla sugar contribute most of the energy; the espresso supplies the caffeine.
Serving calculation and ingredient sources
Arla's named 10% cream lists 120 kcal and 4.3 g sugar per 100 g. Our 120 g contributes 144 kcal and 5.16 g sugar. Dr. Oetker Professional's named vanilla sugar lists 390 kcal and 93 g sugar per 100 g: 8 g contributes 31.2 kcal and 7.44 g sugar.
USDA prepared espresso, NDB 14210, supplies 9 kcal and 212 mg caffeine per 100 g. The 36 g portion contributes 3.24 kcal and 76.32 mg reference caffeine. Total energy is 178.44 kcal and total sugar 12.6 g, including the cream's naturally occurring sugar. Displayed energy and caffeine are rounded to the nearest 5.
With 4 g vanilla sugar, the totals are 162.84 kcal and 8.88 g sugar, displayed as 165 kcal and 8.9 g. These estimates use public composition records and product labels. Different cream, sugar, coffee or extraction changes the result.
Common Questions
Is Raf coffee the same as a latte?
Can I use milk instead of cream?
Can I use vanilla syrup?
Does Raf coffee have caffeine?
Is Raf served with whipped cream?
For the syrup-based alternative, follow the vanilla-latte recipe.