Is Melted Cream Cheese The Secret To An Extra Smooth Cheesecake Filling?

You aren't alone if the filling is your favorite part of the cheesecake. While you can make a cheesecake crust out of plenty of delicious — and sometimes unexpected — ingredients, the filling is undoubtedly the star of any cheesecake. If you're a cheesecake aficionado, you've probably tried enough cheesecakes to know that a lumpy cheesecake filling is a real dessert killjoy. The best cheesecake fillings are lusciously smooth and encompass the tang that's the hallmark of any good cheesecake recipe. If you regularly bake cheesecake, though, you would know that it's pretty easy for the filling to get clumpy. So how can you smooth it out?

Some bakers claim that melting your cream cheese before you fill your cheesecake is the key to a smoother texture, per Carmela Pop. But does melting cream cheese actually do anything to improve a cheesecake's texture, or is it all just another cooking myth to avoid? The answer, Lifehacker explains, is pretty simple. And the best part is that it may even help you bake a better-tasting cheesecake.

Softening cream cheese before putting it into cheesecake will smooth it out so that there are no lumps in your filling. The cheesecake filling will also be easier to spread on top of the crust if you soften it. Although there are many ways that you can soften cream cheese, melting it gets the job done especially well. To melt cream cheese in the microwave, take the cream cheese out of its original packaging and cut it into chunks. After putting the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave it for 10 seconds. Continue microwaving in 10-second increments until the cream cheese fully melts, Carmela Pop explains.

Even in such a short time, you'll have melty, spreadable cream cheese for your cheesecake filling. If you want to use your stove to melt cream cheese, place the cream cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Observe the cream cheese carefully — it's important to make sure it's melting and not burning or boiling over (via Foodsguy). Once you've melted the cream cheese, use it in your cheesecake, and you're in for some smooth sailing!

We highly recommend melting your cream cheese for a smoother cheesecake filling. Melting, however, is just one of many ways to soften cream cheese. There are plenty of other creative ways to soften cream cheese that have similar effects to melting it. You can soften cream cheese on your countertop by simply taking the cream cheese out of the refrigerator and placing it on the countertop to soften for 30 minutes to an hour, making sure to cut the cream cheese into cubes to allow the process to go more quickly (via My Baking Addiction). You can use warm water if you'd prefer to soften your cream cheese in its original packaging. Just fill a large bowl with warm water — not boiling hot water — and put your wrapped cream cheese block in the water. You can also soften cream cheese with your hands. Simply run your hands under warm water and then squeeze the package of cream cheese in your hands, according to The Cheese Knees. 

While there are many ways to soften cream cheese for cheesecake, melting it is the best option for the smoothest cheesecake filling. If melting isn't your style or you don't have a way to melt your cream cheese, another method could easily work for you. These ways to soften cream cheese are fairly simple, so try whichever feels best for you.