When you’re into cooking or baking, you’d know that cream cheese is one of the most important ingredients you shouldn’t miss out on. Many recipes require this dairy product to be added in the cooking process to get the perfect taste or texture of the food. It’s one thing that needs to be always available in your kitchen.
Since cream cheese is most of the time bought frozen or cold, you have to soften it before using or mixing it with other ingredients. If you’re cooking something that needs softened cream cheese, use your microwave. You can achieve a consistent texture by doing so. Hence, here’s how to soften cream cheese in the microwave oven properly.
Table of Contents
1. Leave it on the counter for 15 minutes.
If you have more time to spare, the first thing you have to do is to get the cream cheese out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for 15 minutes. This is all it takes for it to get soft a bit, and afterward can be ready to put in the microwave oven. The cream cheese needs to rest for a while before you start to soften it to achieve the proper texture and consistency you’re looking for.
2. Take it out of its foil wrapping.
Take the cream cheese out of its wrapper and set it on a microwave-safe bowl or plate. You may take an 8-ounce package of cream cheese or any amount you need to use. Make sure you use a bowl or plate that’s safe to put in the microwave oven to avoid any mishaps. Additionally, you may chop the unwrapped cold cream cheese before putting it in a bowl or simply put the whole slab all at once. It’s up to you to decide.
3. Microwave on high power.
For about 15 to 20 seconds, you can soften cream cheese in the microwave oven on high power. Once it’s done, you can take it out and mix it thoroughly to ensure that everything is even. It may be a little cooler in the middle while warmer on the outside, so it’s best to test it first.
4. Pour it into a container.
When done, it’s time to put the softened cream cheese into a container. You’ll see that you have beautifully soft cream cheese, ready to be mixed with other ingredients. Now that it’s properly softened, you can prevent lumps from forming, and it’ll be combined with other products evenly. You can then continue baking or cooking the recipe you’ve been preparing.
Why Soften Cream Cheese
There are a lot of reasons why you should soften cream cheese. One is because it’s easier to spread and work when you’re baking or using it with other ingredients to cook. You won’t be having a hard time spreading or combining it with other products since it’s soft.
Another reason is that it’s more convenient to blend it when mixing with other products, such as pudding, whipped cream, and cool whip. There’s no need to use other equipment just to mix these products with cream cheese, for you can readily mix them instantly.
Using softened cream cheese also helps avoid unpleasant lumps, which occur when it’s cold. And this is what you prevent from happening when baking, of course!
The Right Consistency
You may use your finger to test the softness of the cream cheese. Softened cream cheese should feel cool to the touch. All you have to do is press a finger into the cream cheese with a slight bit of pressure. Your finger must leave an indention, but it shouldn’t sink in.
Once it sinks, it means it’s too soft. You need to try the whole process all over again. Having the right consistency with your cream cheese is a must, especially when you’re baking. You need to perfect it to have a nice cake, cupcake, and more.
Takeaway
Have worry-free baking or cooking time with softened cream cheese! If you need a soft cream cheese right away and yours is still cold, you can use your microwave oven to soften it. In just a few seconds, you have your softened cream cheese!
In case you’re wondering, the super-fast way to soften cream cheese is through a microwave oven. However, you have to closely watch it, for it can go from soft to a puddle in a few seconds. Never leave it, though it has a timer. These steps mentioned above help you get the right texture and consistency when you soften cream cheese.
Follow this guide, and you’ll surely get the perfect, soft cream cheese you need. No hassle on your part, so gets ready to try this out at home and enjoy your baking or cooking session with the family!
