For the best results, make sure your cream cheese is evenly softened. I like to let the blocks sit at room temperature until they’re softened but not warm. How long this takes can vary depending on the room temperature. Avoid rushing the process by putting it in a hot room or using the microwave—it’s a recipe for lumpy cream cheese! If you really need to soften cream cheese quickly, you can use the microwave on defrost mode or 30% power. Just make sure to stop every 15 seconds to flip the blocks. It might feel a bit tedious, but it’ll give you a better finished product.