Cream cheese is a fantastic ingredient to use in baking, due to its creamy texture and taste. It is great in sweet and savory recipes. It’s used in baked good, biscuit, and cheesecake.
What is cream cheese exactly, and what makes cream cheese so incredibly creamy? Cream cheese is actual cheese just like all the fancy cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss, and gouda. FDA guidelines say that cream cheese has to contain minimally 33% fat and have a 55% moisture content (or less).
Cream cheese in the early days was mostly produced in Philadelphia, and these days, people all over the world enjoy the creaminess of cream cheese. If you’re making recipes that call for cream cheese, you almost always need to let it soften to room temperature. Fortunately, we have a shortcut for you.
While it is a lovely ingredient to use, when it has been taken straight out of the refrigerator, it can be quite hard. When the creamcheese has not been softened, it is more difficult to mix with dry ingredients. Softened creamcheese is great in creamcheesefrosting and whipped creamcheese your favorite creamcheesefrostingrecipe. Frozen creamcheese is too difficult to work with. Room temperature is much better.
Given this, it is better to soften it slightly before using it. While this is not essential, it will make the mixing process easier and it will help to prevent lumps in your mixture too!
In this article, we will be talking you through the best way to soften cream cheese quickly in the microwave. When we say quickly, we mean it! It should only take around 20 to 30 seconds to do, which is no time at all.
What You Will Need:
Before you begin, you will need to ensure you have everything that you will need:
Cream Cheese
Microwave safe bowl
Spoon for mixing
While you can use a plate, we would recommend using a bowl as it will hold the cream cheese better.
How To Soften Cream Cheese Quickly In The Microwave
Here are all of the steps you will need. We recommend following them closely to achieve the best possible results
Step One – Preparing Your Cream Cheese
Before you microwave the cream cheese, you will need to prepare. To do this, you will need to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator.
Before you soften the cream cheese, you will need to measure out how much you need for your recipe.
Ideally, you should only soften the amount needed and place the rest into the refrigerator. You can microwave it all, however.
Before you microwave the creamcheese ensure that there is no wrapping or foil on the creamcheese. Remove creamcheese from plastic wrap or foil wrapper. Then place it into your microwave safe plate or bowl.
Step Two – Softening The Cream Cheese In The Microwave
Once the cream cheese has been placed into the bowl, you are ready to pop it into the microwave. You will want to choose the highest microwave setting to ensure that the cream cheese is being heated quickly.
Place the cream cheese in the microwave for around 10 seconds initially. After this, you will want to take the cream cheese out of the microwave and mix it quickly. At this point, it should have softened slightly.
By mixing the cream cheese, you are ensuring that the cream cheese will soften fully. As the microwave cooks from the outside in, if you do not mix it, you may find that the inside will still be fairly hard.
Step Three – Placing The Cream Cheese Back In The Microwave
After you have mixed the cream cheese slightly, you will want to pop it back into the microwave for another 5 to 10 seconds.
Once finished, the cream cheese will have softened enough that it is good to use in your recipe.
Once finished, the creamcheese will have softened enough that it is good to use in your recipe whether it’s for cheesecake, cupcakefrosting, dip, or cinnamon rolls.
Summary
As you can see, it is simple and easy to soften cream cheese quickly in the microwave.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
