I tested 5 ways to soften the cream cheese – this is the fastest, easiest way

I am an unnecessary dairy fan and Avid Baker, which means always-AlwaysCheese in my fridge. The component is essential for many cakes, pastries and frosting, its tang helps to balance the dessert which will otherwise be very sweet. In most recipes, cream cheese must be at room temperature before incorporating it; If you do not, you risk granular results. Softening a cold block of cream cheese, however, may feel so foreverWhich is no fun when you are a fun Cheese Or tangy-sweet Pastelitos Is being made

In my haste and frustration, I have tried several ways to soften the cream cheese quickly. Curses the Internet with tips and tricks: some recommend microwving it; Other people immersed the cream cheese packed in warm water; And impatient bakers use their stand or hand mixer so that it is not soft and working. To find the best way to soften the cream cheese, I made zero to see five popular approaches, which would do the best work – and I got closer to the bite of the fastest cheesecakes.

Why soft cream cheese?

If you, like me, have cream cheese or added butter For a recipe before you are ready to use, you probably regret it. What you can achieve in time, you lose in the texture: When the cream cheese becomes completely soft, it is originally mixed in a smooth, silky finish, frosting or cake batter. Cool it, and your batsman or frosting will find granular specs, visible drops or white colored lines. This cream is the most obvious in cheese frosting, which must have an ultra-nief, bilovi texture. (Baking specialist and former severe brick editor Stella Park even goes to add a custard element so far Cream cheese butter cream frosting The recipe to ensure this is as smooth as possible.)

How to tell when the cream cheese is properly soft

The best way to assess your cream cheese tenderness is to check its internal temperature Immediate thermometerPutting the investigation into the center, where it will be the coldest. Some recipes call for “room temperature” cream cheese, but it can be misleading, as the environment temperature varies widely depending on the time of year and your location. As a pre -serious editor Christina Notes in his guide Soft butter70 ° F (21 ° C) is usually considered room temperature. This, however, is on the warm side for cream cheese. At this temperature, the cream cheese can very soft and flow during mixing, especially the mixture continues to increase its temperature as friction.

Generally, internal temperature of 60 to 65 ° F (15 to 18 ° C) gives a soft cream cheese properly for baking. When pressed with a finger or spoon, except an indent, gentle pressure should be easily obtained, but should not be so soft that it does not resist. It is also important not to leave the cream cheese out for a very long time, even after it is included in a frosting. The FDA recommends release of foods that deteriorate at room temperature for more than two hours. For any long time, and components can begin to bother bacteria that can cause food -borne disease. Once softened, cream cheese must be used immediately – and any remaining remains refrigerated immediately.

tests

In my research, I came in many common ways to soften the cream cheese: left it at room temperature and left to the cube; Drown a seal package in hot water; Microwave it; Or using a stand mixer to defeat it until it is soft. These are the most widely recommended approaches, and the people I have tested for this article.

During the test, my kitchen environment temperature was 71 ° F, which was very close to the standard “room temperature”. I used 8-ounce blocks of Philadelphia original cream cheese, a national brand that is widely available and is usually considered standard for baking. Using a quick-half-graded thermometer, I recorded the initial temperature of each refrigerated block, then the time was given how long it took to reach 60 to 65 ° F (15.5 to 18.3 ° C) at the center. I also paid attention to any internal temperature variation (for example, whether rapidly heated in the entire blocks) and assessed the final stability, convenience, spontaneity and cleaning requirements of each method.

• The whole block on a sheet pan: I opened the 8-inguid block of cream cheese and kept it flat on an aluminum baking sheetPre -editor Kenji Noted in your guide for Foods quickly defrosting foodsAluminum is one of the best kitchen conductors of heat. To maximize contact, I set a block flat, a poured Investigation thermometer In the center of the block, and started a timer, recorded the temperature every five minutes. Initially, the temperature of the center rose from three to five degrees every five minutes, climbing at 52 ° F (11 ° C) to the chili 37 ° F (2.7 ° C) every five minutes. After that, the temperature became distinguished, with just one to two degrees per interval. The cream cheese took 50 minutes to reach a minimum benchmark of 60 ° F (15 ° C), and a full hour to reach 63 ° F (17.2 ° C). The ends of the block were heated slightly faster than the center, typically warming just one or two degrees compared to the middle.
• Cubed blocks on a sheet pan: For this method, I used the same setup, but cut the block into eight 1-ounce cubes. I spread the cubes in addition to about 1/2-inch on the baking sheet to transmit the air. This method proved very fast: Cubes reached 61 ° F (16 ° C) in just 25 minutes and 65 ° F (18 ° C) at a mark of 30 minutes. Each cube was at a consistent temperature throughout the test.
• Blocks wrapped in hot water: Many bakers recommend a bath of hot water to speed up softening. For this test, I left the cream cheese in its foil cover and placed it in a water bowl of 90 ° F (32 ° C). The internal temperature of the block rose from 37 to 60 ° F (2.7 to 15 ° C) in just 10 minutes, and reached 64 ° F (17.7 ° C) after 15 minutes. However, this method only works when you are planning to use a full 8-inguid block of cream cheese, and allowing a thermometer through foil allow the water to be inside. Without investigation, it is difficult to feel how soft the block is through packaging.
• Complete block in microwave: When the speed is targeted, the microwave is often the first solution that comes to the brain. For this test, I opened a block of cream cheese and placed it flat on a plate. Using 50% of power, I microwave it in a 10-second burst, checking the internal temperature after each. Starting from 39 ° F (3.8 · c), the Center hit 61 ° F (16 ° C) after the four 10-second burst. The ends of the block, however, became very rapidly warm: In 20 seconds, the center was 54 ° F (12.2 ° C), while the ends were already at 63 ° F (17.2 ° C). By 40 seconds, they had reached 72 ° F (22.2 ° C), and were visually soft, flowing, and were starting bubbles-only over-softing but signs of overheating.
• Cubed block in microwave: For this test, I followed the same method in the microwave as above, but cut the cream cheese block into eight 1-ounce cubes and placed them on the plate about 1/2-inch on the plate before microwving. Similar to the results of the room-papman baking sheet test, this method proved to be much faster than leaving the block completely, for all cubes only 20 seconds time 60 ° F (15.5 ° C) or above when microwave is microwaves on 50% power. However, similar to the entire block in the microwave, registering 71 ° F (21.6 ° C) on a 20-second mark, the cubes on the outer edge of the rapidly heated plate at the center at the center, while the center cube had reached only 60 ° F (15.5 ° C) and showed signs of over-softened.
• Complete block in a stand mixer: Many bakers recommend using a stand mixer or hand mixer, which is a quick way as a paddle cream cheese to soften it. For this test, I opened a block and placed it directly in the bowl of my stand mixer. Using paddle attachments, I defeated cream cheese at medium-low speed (to avoid excess air), stopping every 30 seconds to check the temperature. After 2 1/2 minutes, the center reached 60 ° F (15.5 ° C), and it took a full five minutes to hit 65 ° F (18.3 ° C). I timely scrapped the bowl to ensure that the cream cheese was fully stimulated, but despite my efforts, it left me with a lot of beater, spatula, and bowl stuck to the bowl-left me with less than 8-fores.

Results: What is the best way to soften cream cheese?

The best way to soften the cream cheese is to cut the block into small parts, such as 1-ounce cubes, place them on aluminum baking sheets, and let them sit at room temperature for 25 to 30 minutes. Because aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, this cream softens the cheese quickly and equally. Cubes come at temperatures in about half a time of the entire block, which requires no special equipment or additional cleaning. If you do this step first, your cream cheese will probably be ready by a time when you measure your other ingredients and preheate the oven.

While the cream can soften the cheese in a microwave second, it is easy to overdo, resulting in uneven texture and extremely soft spots. The power level varies greatly from one model to another model, so settings working for a microwave cannot work in another. You can, of course, learn the quirks of your particular microwave and adjust accordingly, but requiring testing and error to do so, and still create the risk of overheating parts of cream cheese.

For the method of warm-water, saved five to 10 minutes, the cream cheese is not worth the risk of leaking into the cream cheese through a hole made from the thermometer-or is trying instead of gauge its softness through the uncertainty of releasing the thermometer and the cover. The mixer method, meanwhile, was the most mess and at least practical: it requires a bowl, paddle and spatula cleaning, and you lose precious cream cheese for the equipment. Next time I need soft cream cheese, you can bet that I will reach my trust Quarter-sheet pan And exercise a little patience.