Raf Coffee: Cream, Vanilla Sugar and a Different Steaming Method

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. That is evidence of a named variation, not a standard recipe every café follows. The formula below keeps the vanilla version simple and measures each ingredient.

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Raf Coffee Recipe

Makes one hot Raf in about 5 minutes with equipment ready. A 200–250 ml cup leaves room for the foam; that capacity is not a measured finished yield.

Ingredients

• 18 g coffee, ground for espresso
• 120 g cold Arla UHT Kaffefløde 10% cream
• 8 g Dr. Oetker Professional Bourbon vanilla sugar

The cream and sugar products identify the nutrition calculation, rather than a requirement to buy one brand. Other 10% creams and vanilla sugars can be used, with their own labels. The sugar reference is the Dutch Professional 750 g Bourbon vanilla-sugar product, not an assumed equivalent packet from another range.

Method

1. Brew 18 g ground coffee to 36 g prepared espresso.
2. Stir the espresso and 8 g vanilla sugar together in a steaming pitcher. Add 120 g cold 10% cream.
3. With a suitable manual steam wand, steam the whole mixture to about 60–65°C with fine foam.
4. Swirl and pour all the mixture into a warmed 200–250 ml cup. Serve promptly.

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 a practical dairy-steaming target, adapted from Breville's milk guidance; it is not a claimed universal Raf specification. Aim for integrated, pourable foam, not a stiff whipped-cream cap.

Which Cream and Vanilla Sugar?

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. An equal-weight substitution will not necessarily preserve flavor or sweetness. 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

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 Sweetness or Make It Without a Steam Wand

For a less-sweet version, reduce the vanilla sugar to 4 g and leave the espresso and cream unchanged. The named-ingredient estimate becomes about 165 kcal and 8.9 g total sugar. It also reduces the vanilla flavor; sugar reduction does not leave an identical drink.

Without a suitable steam wand, gently warm the combined ingredients in a small pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then aerate briefly with a handheld frother in a suitable open vessel. This is a practical home alternative, with a different foaming method. Avoid boiling, and 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.

Where Did Raf Coffee Come From?

Coffee Bean founder Jerry Ruditser's own account links the drink to Rafael, a regular at the company's Moscow café. He recalls Rafael ordering espresso with cream and sugar, with friends subsequently asking for the same drink. This is an attributed origin account from the business associated with Raf, rather than proof of an exact invention date or an unchanged original formula.

Calories, Sugar and Caffeine

The full recipe is about 180 kcal, 12.6 g total sugar and 75 mg reference caffeine. Cream and vanilla sugar contribute most of the energy; the espresso supplies the caffeine.

Common Questions

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading