The most obvious difference between a latte and a cappuccino is the texture of the milk inside the coffee. The steamed milk of the latte has a thinner mouthfeel, whereas the cappuccino full froth milk is a little heavier on the palate. The other difference between the two is that cappuccinos tend to use less milk than lattes do. This is due to the milk frothing up during the aeration process, and a cappuccino is intended to be served in a smaller portion compared to a latte.
The cappuccino uses less milk in the coffee, as the majority of it sits on top of the drink, in a foam-like state. Therefore, leaving the cappuccino tasting stronger than a latte. Despite the cappuccino tasting stronger, both coffee beverages contain the same amount of espresso, meaning that the caffeine content is the same.
That means that the strength of the coffee is measured purely based on how much of the espresso you can taste.
As with all steamed milk beverages, they taste sweeter as the steaming process draws out the milk’s natural sweetness. Due to the latte’s milk-to-espresso ratio, it will taste sweeter than a cappuccino.
There you have it. Hopefully, now that you know what the difference between a cappuccino and a latte is, it will make your next coffee order a little bit easier. Want to compare more coffees and understand their differences? Why not take a look at our article about frappés and how they are different to a Frappuccino, next?