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Caffè Shakerato is how Italians do iced coffee. Espresso and sugar are shaken well and served in a cocktail glass. It’s simple, refreshing and absolutely delicious!
Caffè shakerato is one of the most refreshing ways to enjoy coffee during the summer in Italy. You’ll find it served in bars all over the country when the weather is hot.
It’s made by vigorously shaking freshly brewed espresso with sugar or simple syrup in a cocktail shaker until it’s ice cold with a creamy, foamy layer on top.
It’s super simple to make at home and only takes a few minutes. I love to serve it in a martini glass, which is how I’ve often been served it in Italy, and it makes it feel a little extra special.
How to sweeten your coffee
The simplest way, and how I prepare a caffè shakerato, is by adding sugar to the hot espresso and letting it dissolve before shaking.
I like to use golden caster sugar or demerara sugar, but white sugar is also absolutely fine.
Another option is to add simple syrup. Simply simmer equal parts of sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar has completely dissolved, and sweeten your coffee to taste.
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Pin ItMy top tips for making the perfect Caffè Shakerato
- Make sure your coffee has crema on top: when you brew an espresso using a coffee machine, you get that creamy, light brown foam on top called ‘crema’. This helps give your caffe shakerato a nice frothy top, so a coffee machine really helps.
- Add your espresso while it’s still hot: pour your espresso into your cocktail shaker while it’s still hot; this is another great way to ensure a frothy top.
- Sweeten a little more than normal: My tip is to go slightly sweeter than you would a regular hot coffee because the flavour is slightly muted when cold. I find that two teaspoons is perfect, but it’s completely up to your personal preference.
More Italian coffee recipes to try
Italian Desserts
Ricotta al Caffè
Drinks
Espresso Martini
Italian Desserts
Italian Affogato Recipe – Ice Cream And Coffee
Italian Desserts
Granita al Caffè con Panna (Coffee Granita)
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Caffè Shakerato (Italian Iced Coffee)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 double espresso or strong coffee, (60ml or 1/4 cup) I use Lavazza espresso ground coffee
- 2 teaspoons demerara sugar, (or white sugar)
- ice
Instructions
- Brew your double espresso using your coffee machine. Stir in the sugar and let it dissolve for a few seconds.
- Fill your cocktail shaker with ice and pour over the sweetened espresso.
- Give it a good shake for about 30 seconds (as if you're shaking a cocktail) and strain it into your serving glass. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sweeten your coffee to taste. You can leave the sugar out if you prefer.
- White or brown sugar will work well.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
