Baking or cooking can be very confusing, especially if you are new to the kitchen. Often times you will hear terms in recipes like braise, fold, or blanch and wonder what the heck are they talking about. After many years of cooking, I still sometimes have to look up what some terms or ingredients mean in a recipe. One term that has thrown many people for a loop is when a recipe calls for softened cream cheese. Let’s find out what softened cream cheese means.
What Is Softened Cream Cheese?
You most likely know that when a recipe indicates “softened cream cheese” as an ingredient it means, well, cream cheese that has been softened. However, there are different degrees or interpretations of soft. Soft could mean slightly soft to the touch or all the way to the point of being melted. When it comes to cream cheese, soften cream cheese simply means that it is at normal room temperature. The cream cheese should be relatively easy to mix into other ingredients like eggs or sugar. If you have ever tried to mix cream cheese fresh out of the refrigerator, you know what a battle it can be. Check out the best ways to soften cream cheese here.