To soften cream cheese without a microwave you can place the cream cheese in a Ziploc bag and submerge the cream cheese in some warm water for 10 to 15 minutes or leave it out at room temperature for no more than 2 hours.
You can soften cream cheese to room temperature quickly by submerging the cream cheese in some warm water or microwaving the cream cheese for short bursts.
To soften the cream cheese by microwaving it, remove the cream cheese from it's foil wrapper and then place the cream cheese on a microwave safe plate.
Next microwave the cream cheese for 15 seconds for an 8 ounce block of cream cheese or 18 seconds for each additional 8 ounces.
Check for softness of the cream cheese frequently and be careful to not overheat the cream cheese.
Stir the cream cheese after each 15 second heating increment to ensure even heating of the cream cheese.
And be aware that the cream cheeses whey may seep during microwaving the cream cheese but it's normal and can be reincorporated into a recipe.
To soften cream cheese in warm water, place the cream cheese in it's foil wrapper into a Ziploc bag and remove all the air and seal it.
Then submerge the sealed bag of cream cheese into a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to 15 minutes and be sure to flip the cream cheese every few minutes.
You can also cut the cream cheese into some small cubes and then place the cubed cream cheese on a plate or a container in a warm spot such as on top of the oven or near an oven.
Avoid overheating the cream cheese as it can cause the cream cheese to melt as the goal is to simply soften the cream cheese but not melt it.
Cream cheese should also not be left out at room temperature longer than a few hour or it can spoil.
You can also use a mixer to beat the cream cheese which also softens the cream cheese quickly.