Before starting, place the bowl for the whipping cream in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. Bring the cream cheese to room temp or until you can smooth it out.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla here if using.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. The cream should hold its shape and barley curl at the end when beaters are lifted.
Add a scoop of whip cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix until fully combined. Then add the cream cheese mixture to the whip cream and mix using a scoop and toss motion to prevent deflating the air. You can also use electric mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe into serving bowls, glasses, or dessert cups. Alternatively, spoon into individual serving dishes or spread into a prepared pie crust.
Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes for a slightly firmer texture.
