Lumpy cream cheese - what am I doing wrong?

[Kim Shook]

I have had this problem forever and am wondering what the heck I'm doing wrong.  This is about as good as it gets for me when whipping cream cheese:

 

I bring the cream cheese to room temperature and whip it (I've tried both a hand mixer and the KA) for a good, long time.  And I still have little lumps. I never get a really smooth texture and that affects whatever I try to make with it.  Any tips or tricks?  This is full fat cream cheese, by the way.  

[heidih]

Have you considered dialing down the aggression? Let it soften  - really soften - and use the potato masher and then the whisk. Like with creaming butter. Do you add liquid. The pic looks pretty loose. Those chemicals they use to congeal it may be resisting you. I've only ever done it for unbaked cheesecakes (yes with the canned cherry pie filing topping_) but I don't remember lumps.

[blue_dolphin]

38 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I bring the cream cheese to room temperature and whip it (I've tried both a hand mixer and the KA) for a good, long time.  And I still have little lumps.

 

Hmmm.  I'm wondering if a very warm room temp could be the issue.  As @heidih said, the mix in that bowl looks very loose and I'm wondering if it was warm enough to split or break. 

[Kim Shook]

@heidih and @blue_dolphin - thank you!  That picture was after mixing in lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla, so it was loose.  I'd whipped the room temp cream cheese by itself before that, though.  I've always had the same issue - making cream dips and cream cheese icing, for instance.   

[rotuts]

did you get lumps before you added the lemon juice ?

[Kim Shook]

9 minutes ago, rotuts said:

did you get lumps before you added the lemon juice ?

I did.  I always do! 😞

[Okanagancook]

Probably too warm and/or over whipped.

[pastrygirl]

use the paddle, bring your liquids to room temp and little by little