Quick answer: an Einspänner is strong black coffee served in a glass and topped with a thick cap of softly whipped cream. To make one, pour a double espresso (plus a little hot water if you like) into a small glass, sweeten it, and spoon or pipe on lightly sweetened cream whipped to soft peaks. Sip it without stirring.
What is Einspänner coffee?
It is one of the classic drinks of the Viennese coffee house: strong black coffee in a glass, topped with whipped cream, with powdered sugar served separately. The word means a one-horse carriage, and the drink is traditionally associated with Vienna’s coachmen; the cream cap is said to have kept the coffee warm. Outside Austria it is often called Vienna coffee, and an iced version has become popular in Korean cafés.
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 1 double espresso (about 60 ml), or 120 ml very strong coffee
- 1-2 tsp sugar, to taste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 tsp powdered sugar and a few drops of vanilla for the cream (optional)
- Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
How to make it
- Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar until it is thick but still pourable, just short of soft peaks. It should sit on the coffee, not sink.
- Brew the coffee into a small heatproof glass and stir in sugar while it is hot.
- Spoon the cream gently over the back of a spoon so it floats in a layer about a finger thick.
- Dust with cocoa and serve at once, without stirring.
Iced Einspänner
Fill a glass with ice, add a double espresso and about ½ cup of cold water or milk, sweeten it, and float the same thick, pourable cream on top. Because the cream is only lightly whipped, it slowly marbles into the coffee as you drink.
Getting the cream right
- Use cold cream with at least 30% fat.
- Stop whipping early: thick ribbons that hold for a second are right. Stiff cream sits in a lump and will not blend as you sip.
- For several drinks, a whipped cream dispenser gives the same soft cream every time; shake it less than you would for stiff whipped cream.
- Flavor the cream with vanilla, cinnamon or cocoa; see whipped cream dispenser recipes.
Einspänner vs espresso con panna vs cappuccino
- Einspänner: long black coffee in a glass, thick cap of soft whipped cream.
- Espresso con panna: a shot of espresso with a spoonful of whipped cream.
- Cappuccino: espresso with steamed milk and milk foam, no whipped cream.
More cream-topped drinks: Irish coffee, hot chocolate with whipped cream and whipped cream for coffee.
The short Italian cousin of this drink is espresso con panna.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Einspänner?
A Viennese coffee: strong black coffee or espresso served in a glass and topped with a thick layer of whipped cream, with sugar served on the side.
Is Einspänner the same as espresso con panna?
They are close relatives. Espresso con panna is a single or double espresso with a spoonful of whipped cream; an Einspänner is a longer coffee in a glass with a much thicker cream cap.
Do you stir an Einspänner?
No. It is meant to be sipped through the cold cream so each mouthful mixes hot coffee and cream.
What does Einspänner mean?
In German it means a one-horse carriage. The drink is traditionally linked to Vienna’s carriage drivers.
