11 Years and Counting...

Ryan and I are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary today! Time sure flies! I can still remember how a storm almost ruined the most important day of my life! It was October 27, 2000 when Typhoon Reming (Xangsane) entered the Philippine area of responsibility. Ryan's mom and relatives were supposed to be arriving in Batangas from Mindoro on that day, but the Coast Guard cancelled all boat trips due to the typhoon, and there was no other way for them to reach Batangas. Ryan and I felt so bad that his mom couldn't come. He's an only son, so we could just imagine how terrible it was for her mom to miss her only son's wedding...but we couldn't simply reschedule it and let our months of preparations be wasted!

I was so sad for Ryan and felt so helpless that I couldn't do anything to comfort him. He spent the night at my aunt's house. And while I was supposed to be getting beauty rest at my parents' house, all I did was cry and worry about him. Both of us hardly slept that night.

October 28 came, and Typhoon Reming was hitting Southern Luzon badly. Aside from Ryan's mom and relatives from Mindoro, 2 of our bridesmaids and groomsmen and a couple of our wedding sponsors didn't make it to our wedding. But more than 250 guests still managed to come. With the strong wind and heavy rain, I honestly didn't expect that we could still get a good turnout. I must say that we felt so loved by our friends and relatives who, despite the storm, still find a way to be with us on our special day! With all the guests showering us with love and best wishes, our gloomy day turned into a very joyful and memorable one.

As the wedding reception came to an end, there was flood everywhere...and everyone had difficulty going home. Unfortunately, Ryan's officemates had car trouble and there was no mechanic available to fix it. So they ended up staying with us at my aunt's house. Yes...9 of Ryan's officemates were with us on our wedding night! With power outage and nothing much to do, we  spent the night drinking and sharing crazy stories. Sounds so weird for a supposedly romantic first night as husband and wife hah! But it was fun...and truly unforgettable! 

The next day, after Ryan's officemates left, we went to my parents' house and opened some of our gifts. In the afternoon, we headed to Manila, and the next day, to Cebu for our honeymoon trip. Everything turned out well in the end...

So, that’s our wedding story and it seems like only yesterday when that happened. 11 years and 2 kids later, here we are! 

It’s been 11 years with ups and downs but our love and marriage is stronger than ever...and Ryan is still all of those wonderful things (responsible, wise, loving, kind, funny and many more) that made me want to spend my life with him...and I love him more!

Yesterday, when the weather was so gloomy here, I can't help but remember our wedding day. To brighten things up, I thought of making an anniversary cake for us. As I've said before, I'm not much of a cake decorator, so this cake is just simple...but something we both love. It's Banana Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting and Cream Cheese & Pecan Filling. It may sound complicated, but believe me when I say it is so simple and easy to make! It is more like a banana bread...you just whisk together all the ingredients and you are done! The filling and frosting are both easy to prepare too! The only thing that took long was waiting for the cake to cool down before I could put frosting. :)

 

Ingredients:

Chocolate Banana Cake:

• 1 ¾ cups cake flour
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium sized bananas)
• 1 cup warm water
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
• ¾ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Slightly grease two 9" round pans. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined. The batter is quite thin, don't worry. That's how the cake will turn so moist. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 

4. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes then transfer on a wire rack. When completely cooled, layer the two cakes with cream cheese filling in between then frost with chocolate ganache.

 

For the cream cheese filling:

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract. Add confectioner's sugar. Beat at low speed until mixed, then on high until smooth.

2. Spread in between the banana cake. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.

For the frosting:

1. Place chocolate morsels in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil.

3. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.

4. When ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy. Then spread on the cake. Decorate as you please.

Last night, as Ryan and I reminisce our stormy wedding day, we shared a slice of our banana chocolate cake. It was nice to remember how we ceremonially cut and share the first slice of our beautiful wedding cake which was a gift from my dear cousin, Jesley. Too bad that we didn't get to enjoy it much. All we had was one bite each. I can't remember what happened to the rest of the cake.

 

But this cake, we'll get to enjoy! Nothing can stop us! And As Ryan and I wish for more blessed years together, let me virtually share with you this moist and chocolatey cake. (^.^)

God has blessed us in the past 11 years of our marriage and I believe that He has more in store for us in the years to come. He has been so good and I am grateful everyday for Ryan and his love for me.

Happy Anniversary, Ryan! Thank you for the past 11 years. I love you!

And to you all, a very happy weekend!!!