Watergate Cake (Family Favorite Recipe) - Southern Plate (2024)

Cake Dessert

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This Watergate Cake recipe is a family favorite and thankfully, it’s so easy to make with a cake mix. Each cake slice is moist, the perfect sweetness, and topped with a light and fluffy whipped frosting.

Watergate Cake (Family Favorite Recipe) - Southern Plate (1)

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Mama and I baked this Watergate Cake recipe at my house the other day so we could photograph it here. She is writing today’s post. Take it away, Mama! ~Christy

Watergate Cake is one of our favorite cakes. The cake is moist and the icing is so light and fluffy. Not at all overly sweet like some cakes, but just the right balance of sweet and fluff! The entire cake was gone the first day. The grandkids kept coming back for more until there was none left. It warmed my heart to make a dessert that everyone loved. Since this cake is green thanks to the pistachio pudding mix, it is the perfect cake to make for St. Patrick’s Day too.

Favorite Cake for St Patrick’s Day

I am so excited that St. Patrick’s Day is almost here. That means that spring isn’t far behind.I have always made a big deal out of every holiday. Kids, even the older ones, love it. My kids still remember the things we made and did for St. Patrick’s Day. I always tried to make as much green food as I could. It is almost imperative that the food is very light or white in order for it to turn green with a few drops of food coloring. The mistakes are usually more memorable than the successes though. That’s what the holidays are for, good times with our family and making memories.

Fun Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day

Try to think outside the box for green ideas. If you need help, just look on the internet for thousands of ideas. Christy always puts a few drops of green food coloring in every toilet in her house! The kids get up each morning and run to see if the leprechauns visited because, well, they had to use the bathroom before they left, you know! You still have a few days to plan for St. Patrick’s Day so let’s dig into our wonderfully green Watergate Cake.

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Recipe Ingredients

  • White cake mix
  • Instant pistachio pudding mix
  • Vegetable oil
  • Eggs
  • Ginger ale

How To Make Watergate Cake

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Combine the cake mix, 1 box of pistachio pudding, oil, eggs, and ginger ale in a large bowl. Mix well with an electric mixer.

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Pour the cake batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick.

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The frosting ingredients are milk, pistachio pudding mix, and whipped topping.

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Add the cold milk to the instant pudding mix and mix with an electric mixer until well combined and it begins to thicken. Fold in the whipped topping and then it’s time to frost your Watergate Cake. Garnish with chopped pecans if you like.

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This is the beautiful end result. Store it in your refrigerator and enjoy!

Storage

Store pistachio cake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. You can also freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature before adding the frosting as instructed.

Recipe Notes

  • You may have noticed that cake mix now has a smaller amount in each box. Christy and I have tried a number of recipes and found no difference in the end result. Our advice is to not worry about it when using a recipe that calls for a box of cake mix. Just proceed with the recipe the same as always. There is no need to make any adjustments.
  • In a pinch, a yellow cake mix will work. But white cake mix will ensure the green pistachio color is more vibrant.
  • We used ginger ale because that is what we had on hand. You could also use Sprite, 7UP, club soda, or any other clear soft drink in this recipe.
  • For added flavor, add 1/2-cup each of chopped pecans and sweetened shredded coconut flakes to the pistachio Watergate cake batter. You can toast both or none on a sheet pan, the choice is yours.
  • For the whipped topping, you can use Cool Whip, Dream Whip, or even homemade whipped cream.
  • To add a pop of color, garnish your cake with maraschino cherries. This makes it the perfect festive cake for Christmas too!
  • You can opt to sprinkle chopped pecans on top or enhance the pistachio flavor with even more pistachio nuts.

Watergate Cake (Family Favorite Recipe) - Southern Plate (8)

Watergate Cake

Watergate Cake is a family favorite and thankfully, it's so easy to make with a cake mix. Each cake slice is moist, the perfect sweetness, and topped with a light and fluffy frosting.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake

Servings: 4

Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 2 boxes instant pistachio pudding mix
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup ginger ale or 7 Up
  • 1 1/4 cups cold milk
  • 8 oz. whipped topping
  • nuts optional

Instructions

  • Combine the cake mix, 1 box of pistachio pudding, oil, eggs, and ginger ale in a medium bowl.

    1 box white cake mix, 2 boxes instant pistachio pudding mix, 1 cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 1 cup ginger ale or 7 Up

  • Mix well and pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.

  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely.

  • Add the cold milk to the remaining box of pistachio pudding mix in a medium bowl.

    1 1/4 cups cold milk, 2 boxes instant pistachio pudding mix

  • Stir until well combined and the pudding begins to thicken. Then fold in the whipped topping.

    8 oz. whipped topping

  • Frost the cooled cake and garnish it with chopped pecan pieces (optional).

    nuts

  • Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

You may enjoy these other cake mix recipes:

Busy Week Cake Mix Cookies

Cookies and Cream Cake Mix Cookies

Cake Mix Cherry Crumb Cake

Flamingo Cake

“Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Watergate Cake (Family Favorite Recipe) - Southern Plate (2024)

FAQs

Why do they call it Watergate cake? ›

According to WAMU reporter Gabe Bullard, the name may be satirical wordplay: an early recipe published by the Hagerstown Daily Mail of Maryland in September 1974 (a month after the resignation of Richard Nixon) credits Christine Hatcher, who gave the cake its name "because of all the nuts that are in it." Author Joseph ...

Why is it called better than Robert Redford cake? ›

So somewhere along the line, someone created this recipe and they thought it was so delicious that they dubbed it as “Better Than Robert Redford.” I guess Robert Redford was kind of a big deal back in the day. I'd personally call it “Better Than George Clooney.” I'm sure everyone has their own version.

Why is pistachio salad also called Watergate salad? ›

Consisting of pistachio pudding, Cool Whip, nuts, and pineapple, the dish was probably never actually served at the Watergate Hotel. It is rumored to have been given its new name because of its similarity to Watergate cake, which was also bright green and made with pistachio pudding and whipped cream.

Why is Watergate salad called Watergate salad? ›

Syndicated household advice columnists Anne Adams and Nan Nash-Cummings, in their "Anne & Nan" column of October 9, 1997, reported that name came from the similar "Watergate Cake" (which shares most of the same ingredients): "The recipes came out during the Watergate scandal.

What is Michelle Obama's favorite cake? ›

Few things will top of a meal better than Michelle Obama's Favorite Red Velvet Cake from Delish.com.

What is Elvis Presley cake? ›

An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.

What is the most loved cake in the world? ›

Chocolate Cake

You've guessed it right! Chocoholics' favorite dense and moist chocolate cake ranks top of the list. Glazing the cake with a thick chocolate ganache is one of the most popular ways to enjoy this dessert!

How did bee sting cake get its name? ›

Bienenstich means “bee sting” in German. One source for the origin of bienenstich cites a legend of German bakers from the 15th century who lobbed beehives at raiders from a neighboring village, successfully repelling them, and celebrated later by baking a version of this cake named after their efforts.

Why is it called buckle cake? ›

A buckle is a funny name for an old fashioned fruit studded coffee cake. Like many other desserts in the extended cobbler family buckles take their name from their appearance—grunts grunt as they cook, slumps slump when served, buckles—you guessed it—buckle.

Why is it called Texas cake? ›

The origins of this cake are murky. Some sources say it may have first shown up in a Texas newspaper, which is why it's called "Texas" sheet cake, while others claim the name comes from the fact that it's the size of Texas. Regardless of its origins, this cake is truly a crowd-pleaser.

What is Watergate known for? ›

Aerial view of the Watergate complex, site of June 17, 1972 burglary of Democratic National Committee Headquarters that became synonymous with the President Nixon cover up and eventual resignation. The break-ins occurred in the office building in the center.

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