Scrub potatoes with skins on. Cut into large chunks, about 3 inches.
Place in a large pot with the garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon salt, and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down heat to medium and gently boil, cover pot, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. You can start poking the potatoes after about 20 minutes.
Warm the cream in small saucepot over low heat. Keep cream warm.
Drain the potatoes and garlic in a large colander, allow to cool slightly, and slip the skins off the cooked potatoes. (You can also leave the skins on if you like the rustic texture of skins.) Pour the potatoes and garlic back into the empty pot. Place the pot over low heat and stir the potatoes, or toss them in the pot every few seconds for about 5 minutes to evaporate as much water from the potatoes as possible. Remove the pot from the heat.
Cut butter into small pieces and add to potatoes and garlic in pot. Mash potatoes, garlic, and butter together with a potato masher right in the pot. Heat from the both the potatoes and the pot with melt the butter as you mash. If you are using cream cheese, about halfway through mashing the potatoes, cut softened cream cheese into small pieces into the pot, and mash a little more until the cream cheese is incorporated.
Once the potatoes are mashed to the texture you like (The Delicious Family likes creamy with some small chunks), pour the warm cream over the potatoes, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Stir everything gently with a large spoon. Taste and add more salt if necessary.