What Is Seafoam Frosting And How Does It Compare To Meringue?

A delicately delicious and frothy confection, seafoam frosting should be your next choice for your frosting needs. At its core, seafoam frosting is essentially a type of meringue using the same base of egg whites, sugar, and water. The hallmark of seafoam frosting, though, is the use of brown sugar over white sugar. The addition of molasses via the brown sugar brings in subtle notes of caramel and baking spice, deepening the overall flavor of the frosting. Like adding a little razzle dazzle to an otherwise one-note flavor profile. Due to brown sugar weighing more than plain sugar, seafoam frostings will have a slightly higher viscosity than Swiss meringue but the trade off for the added richness is well worth it!

Of the many styles of meringue, the Swiss style is the best for frostings and has the greatest overlap with seafoam in terms of preparation and application. Due to the absence of any acid, or at least enough acid depending on your recipe, both Swiss meringue and seafoam frosting require gently heating the raw egg whites so they can be safely consumed. Another subtle difference between these two, outside of the sugar type, are where and for how long the egg whites are beaten. Between Swiss meringue and seafoam, the difference is a matter of minutes.

Seafoam frostings call for the brown sugar, water, and egg whites to be beaten together atop a double boiler only until you see soft peaks — this step will take anywhere from five to seven minutes. Once the seafoam begins to softly hold its shape, it is removed from the heat for the duration of the mixing process. Then, any extracts or additional flavorings are added and the frosting is whipped until stiff peaks are formed. 

Conversely, with Swiss meringues, the entire mixing process takes place on the double boiler, meaning you'll beat the meringue while it stays on the heat from start to a stiff peak finish, around 10 minutes total. This method can be intimidating for new bakers who might not know the pitfalls when making egg white frostings, so seafoam frosting is a more beginner-friendly option. One helpful addition for either frosting is a pinch of cream of tartar, which stabilizes the proteins, leading to stiffer peaks and easier decorating. 

If you're someone who finds buttercream frosting to be too rich, give seafoam frosting a try. It's perfect for desserts that are naturally rich like indulgent chocolate cakes or if you want to elevate a simple box cake mix.