No Bake Yogurt Cake (Bulgarian Parfait)

A no bake yogurt cake the way we make it in Bulgaria — airy gelatin-set yogurt cream, no crust, no oven, with an easy low carb swap.

My mom is not a baker, but parfe she made. In Bulgaria in the ’90s the store shelves didn’t offer much in the way of sweets, so this airy, gelatin-set yogurt cream — hers was with strawberries — was dessert at our house, and I loved it. This is that dessert shaped into a no bake yogurt cake: no crust, no oven, about 20 minutes of actual work, and the fridge does the rest.

It’s also one of the oldest recipes on my blog — first published in 2014 — and I retested it from scratch this summer with strained 10% yogurt I got from Greece.

I’m a pastry chef by training, and the update that matters most is in the pan: a cake pan with a removable bottom (a springform works the same), lined the way we lined mousse cakes in pastry work, is what gives the cake those smooth, straight sides.

What Is a Bulgarian Parfait?

If “yogurt parfait” makes you picture granola layered in a glass — this is not that. Parfait is French for “perfect,” and the classic French version is a frozen dessert of whipped eggs, sugar, and cream.

In Bulgaria and much of Eastern Europe, parfe means something different: an airy, gelled cream made with strained yogurt, sweet cream, or fruit, served in a glass or shaped into a cake. This is the cake version — snow-white, barely sweet, and served cold.

People sometimes mistake it for panna cotta, but panna cotta is a cooked cream with no eggs.

Parfe is never cooked — the whipped egg whites folded in at the end are what make it lighter than any panna cotta you’ve had.

The Yogurt

You need full-fat strained yogurt — thick enough that a spoon stands in it. Mine was a 10% strained yogurt I got from Greece, but any full-fat strained (Greek-style) yogurt from the store works. The fat is not optional here: it carries the texture, and a low-fat yogurt sets into something closer to rubber than cream.

How to Make a No Bake Yogurt Cake

The whole method is: dissolve, whip, fold, chill. A hand mixer and one small saucepan do all the work — the exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Start with the gelatin: sprinkle it over cold water and give it 5–10 minutes to soak, until the surface looks swollen and wrinkled. Then warm it gently, stirring, just until every grain dissolves.

While it cools, beat the yolks with the powdered sugar until pale and slightly frothy — about 2–3 minutes — then beat in the vanilla and the yogurt. In a clean bowl, whip the whites with the sugar until they hold firm peaks.

The order of combining matters: the gelatin goes into the yogurt mixture first, and the whipped whites are folded in last, in two or three additions, gently, so the air stays in. That folded-in air is the whole difference between parfe and a dense panna cotta.

Into the lined pan it goes, and into the fridge for at least 6 hours. Then loosen and lift off the ring, and decorate with berries and mint just before serving, so the fruit is at its freshest.

Tips For Yogurt Parfait Cake

Use pasteurized eggs — both the yolks and whites stay raw in this dessert, so this is the one place I don’t compromise.

Before combining, rub a drop of the gelatin mixture between two fingers. If you feel grains, keep stirring over the heat — undissolved grains turn into hard flecks in the finished cream.

Don’t skip the vanilla, and think twice before skipping the coconut. The yogurt base is mild on purpose, and those two do the flavor work — you won’t see the coconut in the finished cake, but you will taste it.

You don’t need to buy anything special to line the pan. I wrap a strip of acetate around the inside for glass-smooth sides — a pastry habit — but it’s optional. Parchment on the bottom is enough, and a thin knife run around the edge releases the sides just fine.

Serving Ideas For Yogurt Gelatin Dessert

This is a make-ahead dessert by design — the chilling time means it’s finished long before your guests arrive.

I serve it the Bulgarian way: after a heavy meal, when nobody wants anything rich, with strong coffee or espresso against the cold, light cream.

In Bulgaria parfe is just as often set in individual glasses — same recipe, 3–4 hours to set, no unmolding, a few berries on each glass.

If you like this kind of light, fruit-topped dessert, my Raspberry Mousse Cake is the same no-bake gelatin family with a bigger raspberry hit.

For a low carb custard that also uses simple ingredients, there’s my Keto Custard.

And if you want cream and fruit with a crust instead, the Puff Pastry Tart with Vanilla Cream is the one to bookmark.

FAQs For Yogurt Parfait Cake

How long does a no bake yogurt cake need to set?

At least 6 hours, but I make it the night before — the texture is noticeably creamier the next day.

You’ll know it’s ready when the center doesn’t jiggle at all.

For clean slices, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it between cuts.

Why didn’t my parfait set?

Almost always the gelatin.

Either it boiled (heat kills its setting power) or it was added too cold — chilled gelatin hitting cold yogurt seizes into strings instead of blending.

It should go in liquid but close to room temperature.

Can I use regular yogurt instead of strained?

Yes, but strain it first: set it in a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl and leave it in the fridge overnight.

It loses about half its volume in whey — start with roughly 1 kg of regular full-fat yogurt to end up with 500 g strained.

Is this low carb?

It can be — swap both sugars 1:1 for powdered erythritol or monk fruit sweetener; nothing else changes.

With the swap it comes out around 3–4 g net carbs per slice (about 8 g with sugar) — run the WPRM calculator after updating to confirm.