A Birthday Celebration: Lemon Cream on Chocolate Cake

Today, I'm celebrating a birthday: this blog is one year old on this very day! Ok, most likely nobody cares but me, but still I'm having a party on my own, and a little post dedicated to it. Good thing I choose a day off to start it!
Even if it's going to make me sound like an old gal, I haven't seen this year go by. I guess I was too busy reading cook book and magazines, before trying things out in my kitchen. It's been a lot of fun and an enriching experience so far, so let's keep going with it ;)

What better than a cake to celebrate a birthday? Nothing in my opinion. This recipe has been used to celebrate an other anniversary in my family, and as it's a recipe from my grandma, I thought it was the perfect choice for today.
I don't have the original anymore, it was from a german magazine my grandma use to read, but it's always a big hit wherever I take it.

So to a great year, hopefully to a few more, thanks for everyone who stopped by here *cheers*.

Lemon Yogurt Cream On Chocolate Sponge Cake

For the sponge cake
100gr Butter, at room temperature
100gr Sugar
1 Pack of Vanilla Sugar
1 Pinch of Salt
3 Eggs
150gr Flour
50gr of Ground Almonds
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
3 Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder
50ml Milk

For the cream
2 Lemons, organic
6 Gelatin Sheets (can be replaced with Agar-Agar)
150gr of Sugar
450gr of Yogurt, plain or greek
200gr of Heavy Cream, very cold

To decorate
2-3 Kiwis
Other fruits if you wish (strawberries, lemon...)

Preheat your oven to 170°C. Butter a round cake tin of about 24cm.

Start with the sponge cake. Mix the butter, the sugar, the vanilla sugar, the salt and the eggs. This has to be combined well, preferably with a hand or stand mixer, you have to add a lot of air to it so the sponge cake will be soft.
Sift the flour into it with the baking powder, than add the almonds and the cocoa, finish with the milk.
When well combined, pour into the buttered cake tin, and place in the oven for about 20 minutes, check with a knife, it should come out clean, but still a little moist, you don't want it to be too dry.
Leave it cool before releasing it from the tin.

Place the gelatin sheets in cold water for a few minutes. Zest both lemons, and press their juice into a small sauce pan. Place on a medium heat, so it bubbles a little, take it from the heat, add the gelatin sheets that you have taken out of the the cold water, and pressed in your hand to remove as much water as possible. Whisk and the gelatin sheets should dissolve easily in the lemon juice, set aside.
In a bowl, put the yogurt, the lemon zest and the sugar and start whisking together, when it has cooled down just a little, add the lemon juice with the gelatin, scrap the bottom of the sauce pan, not to leave any gelatin in it, and whisk again.
Using a mixer, beat your cold heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add it carefully to the yogurt mixture.

Place the sponge cake on the serving dish. Using a bottomless circle mould, or the circle of the cake tin you baked it in (if removable), place it around the sponge cake tightly. Pour in the yogurt cream and place carefully in the fridge, for at least 3 hours.
When it has taken, use a sharp knife to release the edges to remove the circle. Decorate with the fresh fruits of your choice.