Cafe Au Lait vs Cappuccino – What Is The Difference?

One of coffee’s best flavoring partners is milk. This has resulted in an explosion of variations of coffee-with-milk drinks. The common ones include latte, Cappuccino, and Flat White. The less common ones would be Cortado, white coffee, or Cafe Au Lait.

Of these types, Cafe Au Lait and Cappuccino may be a little more confusing since they both carry a name in French and Italian. How are Cafe Au Lait and Cappuccino different?

Cafe Au Lait and Cappuccino are different in their original language. They also differ in the coffee and milk used to make them. They are also different in their formulation, the possibility of latte art, and popularity. These differences made them popular in different regions of the world.

This article explores the similarities and also differences between Cafe Au Lait and Cappuccino.

What Is Cafe Au Lait?

Cafe Au Lait means “Coffee with Milk” in French. The drink originates from France and is traditionally made with an equal ratio of coffee to hot milk. It is popular in France, Portugal, Spain, and Latin America.

Cafe Au Lait basically means “coffee with milk” in French. This may point to the origin of the drink, which is France. The drink is made by mixing strong, hot coffee and hot milk in a similar ratio. 

In older times, it was common to mix regular coffee with hot milk heated on stoves. However, since the espresso machine became popular in the 1950s, Cafe Au Lait has been increasingly made by combining espresso with hot steamed milk.

The most common recipe for Cafe Au Lait is mixing equal amounts of milk with coffee. However, many coffee houses and Baristas have played around with the formulation to make the drink stronger (more coffee) or lighter (more milk).

Cafe Au Lait is popular in France, Spain, Portugal, and South and Latin America. It is often served in smaller cups or glasses, similar to Cappuccino or Latte.

What Is Cappuccino?

Cappuccino is a classic Italian coffee drink with equal parts of steamed milk, espresso, and foam. It is one of the world’s most popular coffee-with-milk drinks and is best enjoyed with some sweet pastry and biscuits.

Cappuccino is a classic coffee drink made from espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. It is one of the most popular coffee-with-milk drinks in the world and originates in Italy. 

The drink is named after the Capuchin friars, whose brown habits were thought to resemble the color of the coffee. It is often served in a small ceramic cup with a big opening.

The classic formula for Cappuccino combines one-third of espresso, one-third of steamed milk, and one-third of milk foam. It is believed the milk helps to cut into the intensity of the espresso. The foam helps to add some texture and airiness to the drink.

Cappuccino is widely enjoyed as a morning and early afternoon drink in Italy. It is best enjoyed with some sweet pastry or dry biscuits.

How Are Cafe Au Lait and Cappuccino Different?

As a start, Cafe Au Lait and Cappuccino are coffee with milk drinks that are popular in many places. Both are also easily available in cafes worldwide, especially those that serve espresso-style coffee.

However, they also differ in many ways, which helps to set them apart from each other:

Origin & Language

Both coffee types are described using the language where they originate from. Cafe Au Lait means ‘Coffee With Milk’ in French, which also clearly points to where the drink comes from.

The word Cappuccino does not mean anything in Italian, but it is used to describe the drink. It is also showing where the drink originates from. The word comes from the habits of the Capuchin friars, whose color resembles the drink.

Coffee

Both drinks are made with coffee. However, you can choose between espresso coffee or regular coffee with Cafe Au Lait. The drink has been traditionally made using regular coffee, but since the 1950s, more espresso coffees have been used. 

With Cappuccino, it is much more common to use espresso coffee. This is because the espresso coffee helps to make the Cappuccino more creamy and hearty.

Milk

In Cafe Au Lait, the milk is first heated up before being mixed with the milk. In the older days, milk was heated in stoves. Modern Cafe Au Lait may use steamers to heat the milk. 

With Cappuccino, the milk is commonly heated with a steamer. The steamer may be brought closer to the surface of the milk to introduce some bubbles and foam. A great barista is capable of producing milk with smooth, silky foams.

READ MORE: Is Barista A Great Career?

Latte Art

Latte art refers to some baristas attempting to create art on their coffee, often by manipulating the contrasting color of the espresso and milk. This is possible with Cappuccino, as Barista could manipulate the pouring of the milk to create layers and lines with the espresso crema. 

Latte art is generally hard to pull off with Cafe Au Lait, as there are no foams to create art. The coffee and milk usually blend evenly, forming an even light chocolate color for the drink.

Popularity

Cappuccino is generally much more popular worldwide than Cafe Au Lait. In fact, Cappuccino may be one of the world’s most popular coffee with milk drinks. 

Cafe Au Lait’s popularity may be more limited. It is a popular drink in France, and countries around it, such as Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It is popular in Latin and South America as well.