Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until it's smooth and creamy. Trust me, this extra step prevents lumps from appearing in your finished dip.

Add the cream corn, mayonnaise, and sour cream to the bowl with the cream cheese. Stir everything together until you don't see any streaks of white cream cheese. The mixture should look fairly uniform at this point, though we're not done yet.

Now mix in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and paprika. Stir well and taste a tiny spoonful (I always do). If you want more garlic flavor, go ahead and add another 1/4 teaspoon — this is your corn dip cream cheese crowd pleaser.

Pour the entire mixture into a baking dish or small skillet. Bake for about 20 minutes until the dip is heated through and the edges start to get a little bubbly. I always know it's ready when I see those bubbles forming around the sides.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. The dip will thicken slightly as it cools, which is perfect for scooping. Mine always looks a little watery straight from the oven, but don't panic — that's completely normal.