This vintage Watergate cake is a pistachio, pecan, and coconut dessert that’s topped with creamy whipped frosting. The beautiful green cake is a classic, old-fashioned treat that’s been a favorite for generations!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for even more vintage cake recipes, don’t miss my grandmother’s old fashioned whiskey cake, this buttermilk cake, a lemon bundt cake, this white Texas sheet cake, a strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting, this 7UP pound cake, and this pineapple upside down cake with cake mix, too!
I just made the cake with the icing. It is delicious. It is moist and the nuts with coconut add to the flavor. Very easy…
– Susan
Watergate Cake is a Perfect Dessert for Any Occasion
My grandmother made Watergate cake back in the 60’s and 70’s, and I’m so excited to share it with all of you today! The vintage recipe typically includes a white cake with pistachio pudding in the batter, pecans, 7UP (or club soda), and sometimes pineapple, coconut, and/or maraschino cherries.
Home cooks have been making this particular pistachio cake with 7UP since the 50’s and 60’s — long before the Watergate hotel political scandal. The cake was a twist on the Watergate salad recipe, which was made with pistachio pudding mix, crushed pineapple (and its juice), mini marshmallows, pecans or walnuts, and Cool Whip. Story has it that both the cake and the salad were renamed “Watergate Cake” and “Watergate Salad” in the 1970s, because beneath its “cover up” of icing, this dessert hides a bunch of nuts!
Watergate cake is perfect for just about any gathering or holiday. For instance, offer it on St. Patrick’s Day since it’s green, add maraschino cherries for a red-and-green dessert on Christmas, offer the light and refreshing cake at summer potlucks, or feature the pastel green and fluffy white coconut for a lovely spring dessert at Easter.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Jello instant pistachio pudding mix gives the cake its pretty pale green color, great flavor, and a moist texture.
- Instead of the box of white cake mix, a box of yellow cake mix will also work. The color and flavor of the cake will just be slightly different.
- We use 7UP for the carbonated beverage that serves as a leavening agent to help the cake rise. It’s also the liquid that brings the batter together. You can substitute with club soda, Sprite, or ginger ale, too.
- The light and fluffy pistachio icing (also called “Impeachment Frosting”) includes a combination of cold milk, Cool Whip, and a box of instant pistachio pudding mix. I’ve included a version of the frosting made with Dream Whip, which also works well (the layer of frosting is just thinner than when you use 16 ounces of Cool Whip).
- For a pop of color, garnish the cake with maraschino cherries (similar to a Watergate salad). This is especially great at Christmas when you want a festive red-and-green dessert!
How to Make this Watergate Cake Recipe
This original Watergate cake recipe comes together with just a handful of really basic ingredients that you can find at just about any grocery store. No special baking skills required! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Mix together the cake batter by beating the cake mix, oil, instant pudding mix, eggs, and 7-up. Fold in the pecans and coconut.
- Bake the cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Cool completely before frosting. If you frost a warm cake, that “Impeachment Frosting” will melt right off.
- Mix together the pistachio frosting.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, sprinkle with chopped pecans and coconut, slice, and serve!
Preparation and Storage Tips
The cake gets better as it sits, so this is a nice dessert option to prepare the day before you plan to serve it.
Cover the cake tightly or store in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you want to prepare the cake in advance, you can freeze the cake (unfrosted) for up to 3 months. Then allow the cake to thaw on the counter, frost with the icing, and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is perfect for our wine club potluck!
– Raquel
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watergate Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box white cake mix
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant pistachio pudding mix (or sub with the 1-ounce box of sugar-free instant pudding)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup 7UP lemon-lime soda (or sub with Sprite, ginger ale, or club soda)
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant pistachio pudding mix (or sub with a 1-ounce package of the sugar-free version)
- 1 cup cold milk
- 16 ounces frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed in the refrigerator
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- Garnish: maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, pudding mix, eggs, and soda. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, and then on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes (scraping the sides of the bowl regularly).
- Fold in the pecans and coconut.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, prepare the frosting. To make the frosting, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until combined and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Carefully fold the whipped topping into the pudding until combined.
- Spread on the cake and sprinkle the coconut and pecans over top. Garnish with maraschino cherries.
Notes
Nutrition
More Cake Mix Recipes
Coconut Cream Poke Cake
3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Rum Cake Recipe (with Cake Mix)
3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix
2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Originally published in March 2020, this post was updated in March 2025.
You forgot the MOST important ingredient PINEAPPLE maybe crushed? Man this looks so good
Yep, I like to add crushed pineapple to my Watergate Salad, but I haven’t used it in the cake. Feel free to add some pineapple to the batter if you like, though!
I haven’t made the cake yet but plan to do so tomorrow. Can I use sprite in place of the 7Up and can cake be cooked in aluminum foil pan?
So excited to try it!
Hi, Deb! Yes — the 7UP will work fine, and the cake should do well in a foil pan (you just may need to add a few minutes to the baking time). Enjoy!
I can’t find a cake mix that is 18 oz. only 15.25 for all of them. What can I adjust in the recipe to compensate for this? Thank you!
You’re fine, Debbie! The recipe card at the bottom of the post specifies a 15.25 ounce box. That’s what you want to use. 🙂
I once had a Watergate Cake which was a sheet cake but instead of frosting, it has a pistacchio flavor drizzle which was soaked into the cake. Has anyone got a recipe like this ?
Hi, Sheryl! That sounds delicious, but I’ve never seen a recipe for that version of the Watergate cake.
I think they call that poke cake
It 4eally was delicious. I’ve been trying to find the recipe for a long time.
If it was renamed in the 70s, what was it called in the 50-60s?
It’s not clear, so it probably went by a number of different names. The Watergate salad was originally known as “pistachio delight,” so the cake may have been something similar. 🙂
Thanks Blair. I’ve never seen nor heard of either the pie or the salad, so it’s piqued my interest. My only cookbook from that era (pre Watergate BH&G) doesn’t seem to have anything pistachio, but that could be just a poor index.
I had made this for our Pastor, just as you had written it and it was delicious.
Later I made it again for my diabetic husband using the Swerve Sweets Vanilla cake mix and sugar free pistachio Jello pudding. Since it was less cake mix I decreased the oil to 2/3 cup, used diet 7-up and reduced it to 3/4 cup. I also used unsweetened coconut. I still used regular milk and dream whip and sugar free pistachio pudding for the frosting. I thought it was fantastic.
That’s great, Crystal! I’m so glad that you were able to adapt it to suit your husband’s needs. Thanks for sharing your tips so that others can do the same. 🙂
Looks delicious!! Can I sub olive oil for the vegetable oil? If not, would canola oil work? Also, I’m gluten free and wondering if I could sub a gluten free cake mix?
Hi Susan! We haven’t tested those swaps, but they should work! We recommend using a light olive oil to avoid overpowering the flavor of the cake. Hope this helps!
I remembered having this cake when I was younger. My mom used to make it for us every blue moon so now I wanted to make it for my kids for Christmas this year. This will be my first time so I am glad I came upon your recipe. I do have a question however. The recipe calls for 15.25 oz cake mix. I wanted to use better Crocker super moist white cake mix but I just noticed that it 16.25 instead. Can I still use this with the same measurements for the other ingredients, or should I switch it out for the Duncan Hines white cake mix that is 15.25 oz?
Hi, Taisha! The Betty Crocker box that weighs slightly more should still be fine with the same measurements for the other ingredients. I hope that your kids enjoy it! Merry Christmas!
I just made the
cake with the icing. It is delicious. It is moist and the nuts with coconut add to the flavor. Very easy to make.
Thank you, Susan! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
I just made the
cake with the icing. It is delicious. It is Very easy to make.
Hi, I just bought a cake mix that already calls for 3 eggs, 1 half cup of oil and a cup of water. My question is do i follow the PKG direction and then add an add6 3 eggs and additional 3 quarter cup of water? Somehow I think that’s way too much eggs, oil and then water! Thanks
Hi Maria!
You’ll want to use just the dry cake mix and add the ingredients called for in the recipe card. Does that make sense?
One of my favorite desserts from childhood – great recipe! I want to bring it to a BBQ this weekend but it will be hot out. Think this would be ok if I tossed it in the freezer the night before?
Hi Amy,
Yes! You can freeze it unfrosted. Then, let it thaw on the counter, frost it, and let it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!
Hi Blair- Does using club soda instead of 7up make a difference in the taste? Thank you-J
Hi Janie! Not enough to really notice a difference. The soda contributes more to the texture than the taste.
Hi Blair! Can I substitute Almond Beverage for the milk? If so, is the ratio the same or do I need to adjust any of the other ingredients? I know the Almond Beverage does not have the same amount of fat as whole milk.
Hi Patricia! It should be just fine with almond milk.
Can I substitute ginger ale for 7up in a watergate cake ?
Hi, Carole! Yes, will work fine. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is perfect for our wine club potluck!
Hope everyone enjoyed it, Raquel!
so good. i made it tonight
Thank you, Laura! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.