Behold! This is eight layers of magic right here. Coconut cake, lemon curd and an airy cream cheese frosting; I actually gasped when I cut in to it and saw the beautiful layers. I truly had a moment.

This cake is styled after the cakes at Momofuku Milkbar. It takes a lot of steps to put together, but the results are worth it. If you start reading this recipe and decide it’s too fussy, you could always just use the components to make a trifle. It will taste just as good!

To make this cake the way I did, you will need a 9×13 sheet pan, a 6 inch cake-pan or cake-ring and cake collars (acetate strips). Are you already rolling your eyes? I’m sorry!

The first thing you want to make is the sugar-free lemon curd. I posted the recipe here. When you make that recipe, save the extra egg-whites to use in your coconut cake.

The second thing to make is the gluten-free coconut cake. The recipe for that is here. When you make that recipe, set aside the leftover coconut milk.

Once you have those two components cooled and ready to go, you can make your sugar-free cream cheese frosting. I’ve included that recipe at the bottom of this post with the rest of the instructions.

Once your cake is completely cool, you can remove it from the sheet pan. I flip it over on to a cutting board. Then, using the cake ring or cake pan, cut out two full circles and two partial circles.

Clean the cakepan or ring and line the bottom with a circle of parchment and line the sides with an acetate cake collar. You are going to build a cake that is taller than the cake pan, so you need to use the acetate to build it up. I should have taken more pictures of that process, but I forgot! So, here is a blog I found with some great pictures of the layering method. It’s called Margaret in the City.

The first layer of your cake will be made with the semi-circles you cut up. Don’t worry if they don’t add up to a full circle. Press them right in to the bottom of the pan and fill the middle with cake scraps. No one will know the difference! Try to make it an even surface.

Using a pastry brush, soak the first layer with some coconut milk. You don’t want it sopping wet, but be generous. This is going to make your cake nice and moist.

Next, spread half of the lemon curd in an even layer. Then a thick, even layer of the frosting.

Put one of the cut our circles of cake on top of the frosting layer and press it down gently. This is when you will want to add another piece of acetate to build up your pan, if you haven’t already.

Soak this layer with coconut milk, spread on the rest of the lemon curd and add another even later of frosting.

Put the last circle of cake on top. Don’t soak this layer. Put the frosting right on top.

Put the whole thing in the freezer overnight. When you take it out of the freezer, it might have some tiny cracks in the frosting. Try not to let it bug you.

Defrost it in the fridge for several hours before serving.