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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 has been a favorite for generations!
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My grandmother made Watergate Cake back in the 70’s, and I’m so excited to share it with all of you today! The delicious dessert is a perfect recipe for just about any gathering, and for so many different holidays. Your family and friends will love this cake on:
- St. Patrick’s Day — it’s green!
- Christmas — just add maraschino cherries for a green and red holiday theme and finish with plenty of snow-like coconut!
- Easter — the pastel green color and the white, fluffy coconut just screams Spring!
- Summer potlucks — the cake is so light and refreshing!
- Sunday suppers with your family — a time to enjoy classic, old-fashioned dishes that bring everyone together around the table.
What is Watergate Cake?
While there are many versions of this dessert, a vintage Watergate Cake recipe typically includes a white cake with pistachio pudding in the batter, pecans, 7UP (or club soda) and sometimes pineapple or coconut.
You may find recipes for a Watergate Bundt cake (like this Pistachio Pudding Cake) or a Watergate layer cake, but we’re keeping it as easy as possible with this delicious Watergate sheet cake, which is baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Where did the name “Watergate Cake” come from?
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 of the 1970’s. The cake was a twist on a similar salad that was made with pistachio pudding mix, crushed pineapple (and its juice), mini marshmallows, pecans or walnuts, and Cool Whip whipped topping. That traditional Watergate salad recipe is also known as “green fluff,” “fluff salad,” “pistachio fluff,” “green goop,” and “pistachio delight.”
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!
I love history and I love cake, so naturally…I love this dessert!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a homemade watergate cake. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step baking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Box of white cake mix: the base of the cake. Use any brand that you like!
- Vegetable oil: keeps the cake nice and moist.
- Two small boxes of jello instant pistachio pudding mix: gives the cake its pretty pale green color, great flavor, and a moist, fluffy texture. Another box of the pudding mix is used in the frosting, too.
- Eggs: for structure.
- 7UP: the carbonated beverage acts as a leavening agent to help the cake rise, and gives it a nice, light, “fluffy” texture. It’s also the liquid that brings this batter together. You can substitute with club soda, Sprite, or ginger ale, too.
- Finely chopped pecans: for crunchy texture and rich, nutty flavor.
- Sweetened coconut flakes: for even more flavor and texture.
- Cold milk and two envelopes of Dream Whip: mix together with a box of instant pudding mix to create the pistachio icing for the cake.
How to Make Watergate Cake
This original watergate cake 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! I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Mix together the cake batter, and then fold in the pecans and coconut.
- Bake the cake, and then cool completely.
- Mix together the “Impeachment Frosting” by beating together the Dream Whip and milk until soft peaks form, and then mixing in the pudding until the frosting is nice and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cake, sprinkle with chopped pecans and coconut, slice, and serve!
Preparation and Storage
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.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of the Dream Whip, you can make the frosting using Cool Whip. To do so, beat 1 ½ cups of cold milk with the pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in an 8-ounce carton of thawed Cool Whip, spread on the cake, and garnish with pecans and coconut.
- A box of yellow cake mix will also work — the color and flavor of the cake will just be slightly different.
- While it’s not as traditional, you can also make a Watergate Cake with pineapple. Here’s a quick recipe if you want to try that version.
- I used 7UP in this recipe, but club soda or ginger ale are also good options. The carbonation helps the cake rise and gives it a light, fluffy texture!
Tips for the Best Watergate Cake Recipe
- 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!
- The cake gets better as it sits, so this is a nice dessert option to prepare the day before you plan to serve it.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- For a similar flavor profile that’s baked in a Bundt pan, you might like this Pistachio Bundt cake.
More Easy Cake Recipes to Try
Watergate Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box white cake mix
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix (either the 1-ounce box of sugar-free instant pudding or the 3.4-ounce box of regular instant pudding will work)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup club soda, 7UP, or ginger ale
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 2 envelopes (2.6 oz total) Dream Whip
- 1 ¼ cups cold milk
- 1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix (either the 1-ounce box of sugar-free instant pudding or the 3.4-ounce box of regular instant pudding will work)
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 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. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
- Bake the cake at 350°F 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.
- In a large bowl, combine Dream Whip and cold milk. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form (about 4-5 minutes). Add pudding mix and beat until fluffy. Spread on cake and sprinkle coconut and pecans over top.
Notes
- Instead of the Dream Whip, you can make the frosting using Cool Whip. To do so, beat 1 ½ cups of cold milk with the pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in an 8-ounce carton of thawed Cool Whip, spread on the cake, and garnish with pecans and coconut.
- A box of yellow cake mix will also work — the color and flavor of the cake will just be slightly different.
- While it’s not as traditional, you can also make a Watergate Cake with pineapple. Here’s a quick recipe if you want to try that version.
- I used 7UP in this recipe, but club soda or ginger ale are also good options. The carbonation helps the cake rise and gives it a light, fluffy texture!
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’ve 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. 🙂
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!