Sticky Date Espresso Trifle

Sticky Date Cake
Grease and line an 18cm x 18cm square cake tin.

In a medium saucepan, combine dates, water, butter, molasses, sugar, and soda. Bring to a boil, stirring until the butter melts. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Stir in the beaten egg, then add the flour and baking powder. Mix well.

Transfer the batter into the prepared tin and bake for around 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow it to cool.

Caramel Custard
Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Stir in cornflour.

Pour a little hot milk into the egg mixture, stir to loosen, then pour it back into the saucepan. Stir constantly until thick and boiling. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until needed.

Vanilla Cream
Whip all three ingredients together until thick.  Refrigerate until needed.

Butter Toffee
Line a tray with baking paper and oil lightly.  Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and place over a high heat and swirl the saucepan to dissolve the sugar. Boil until the toffee turns a caramel colour.

Pour out onto the greased baking paper and spread out thinly with the back of a spoon.

Set aside to cool.

Espresso Caramel Syrup
Mix all together until the sugar is dissolved.

To finish the trifles: 
Place 6 glasses on a tray. Beat the custard until creamy and smooth, and spoon into a piping bag. 

Spoon the whipped vanilla cream into another piping bag.

Cut the cake into thick slices. Dip the cake into the espresso syrup and place in the bottom of the glasses. Add a layer of custard and a layer of cream. Repeat until glasses are almost full. Break up toffee and poke into the top.

Serve.