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Watergate Cake

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Watergate cake is an easy dessert made with cake mix and instant pistachio pudding. It’s really fun and super yummy!
slice of Watergate cake on a plate with the rest of the cake in the background

Pinterest image for Watergate cake with text overlay

Break out your disco music and roller skates: we’re heading back in time today! All the way back to the 70s, when Watergate Cake was all the rage (apparently–I wasn’t born yet so I don’t know from personal experience).

It’s an easy dessert full of coconut and pecans and flavored with pistachio pudding (hence the vibrant green). This cake is really easy to make and suuuuper easy to eat. The coconut in the cake layers makes the cake unbelievably moist and highly addictive–so beware 🙂

Why you’ll love this Watergate Cake

  • It’s EASY to make!
  • You don’t need a stand mixer to make it
  • All the ingredients are readily available at the grocery store

Why is it called Watergate Cake?

Such a good question!  As is often the case when we’re talking about the origins of desserts, the reason Watergate Cake is so known is a little fuzzy—there are a few different possibilities.

My favorite reason (per Wikipedia) is that it was named for the Watergate scandal since the cake originated in the 70s.  Because the cake is full of nuts and comes with a “cover-up of icing” Watergate Cake was a natural fit.

But it’s possible the name comes from Watergate salad, which shares many of the same ingredients and may have been created by a chef at the Watergate hotel. (Note the emphasis on may. Like I said, no one seems to know for sure.)

How do I make Watergate Cake?

I know that’s the reason you’re here so let’s just dive right in.

slice of Watergate cake with a cherry on top and a fork taking a bite out of the cake

  • Combine cake mix, instant pudding mix, and a few other ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
  • Fold in coconut and pecans.
  • Divide between 8-inch cake pans and bake.

Cool your cake layers completely, then you’re ready to make the frosting.

how to make pistachio frosting

  • Stir together milk and instant pistachio pudding.
  • Fold in frozen whipped topping until smooth.

If your frosting is a little runny, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to set up.

how to frost Watergate cake
You don’t need piping bags or anything to frost this cake; just spread frosting over one cooled cake layer, top with the second, and frost.
 
Watergate cake can be a challenge to frost both because of the nuts in the cake and the pistachios in the pudding that makes up the base of the frosting. Just keep in mind that if you end up with cake crumbs in your frosting you can press coconut into the sides of the cake to cover them up.

Notes

  • Don’t like coconut? Leave it out! Don’t like nuts in your desserts? Leave them out too! This is your cake so do it your way. 
  • You can substitute yellow cake mix for white cake mix if that’s what you have; the color of the cake will just be a little different.
  • I like to top each slice of Watergate Cake with a maraschino cherry because I think the pop of red is really pretty against the green. But that’s totally optional!
  • Store uneaten cake in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer (tightly wrapped) for up to 2 months.

A few more cakes you might enjoy
Pineapple Carrot Cake
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
White Chocolate Cake

slice of Watergate cake with a cherry on top and a fork taking a bite out of the cake

Did you make this Watergate Cake? Awesome! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below. And post a pic on Insta; tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see your beautiful creations!

4.93 from 14 votes
slice of Watergate cake with a cherry on top and a fork taking a bite out of the cake
Print
Watergate Cake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
32 mins
Total Time
52 mins
 

Watergate Cake is an easy retro dessert made with a cake mix and pistachio pudding. It's delcious!

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Author: Kelsie
Ingredients
Cake layers
  • 1 (16.25-ouncbox white cake mix
  • 1 (3.4-ouncbox instant pistachio pudding
  • 1 cup 7 Up can substitute club soda
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Frosting
  • 1 (3.4-ouncbox instant pistachio pudding
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 (8-ounccontainer frozen whipped topping
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut for garnish
  • Maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
Cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment, spray the parchment, and set pans aside.
  2. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, soda, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Fold in the coconut and pecans.
  3. Bake cake layers 32 to 38 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 20 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
  1. Once cake layers have cooled, use a long serrated knife to trim them if they’ve domed.
  2. Combine the pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl and stir until thick. Fold in the whipped topping. (You may need to let the whipped topping sit at room temp for a few minutes before it will fold in nicely.). The frosting will be fairly thin but will still be spreadable.
  3. Set one cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle and spread an even layer of frosting over the top. Top with the second cake layer and frost the cake. Press coconut into the sides of the cake if desired. Slice and serve.
Recipe Notes
  • Don’t like coconut? Leave it out! Don’t like nuts in your desserts? Leave them out too! This is your cake so do it your way.
  • You can substitute yellow cake mix for white cake mix if that’s what you have; the color of the cake will just be a little different.
  • I like to top each slice of Watergate Cake with a maraschino cherry because I think the pop of red is really pretty against the green. But that’s totally optional!
  • Store uneaten cake in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer (tightly wrapped) for up to 2 months.

Related

Comments

  1. Mary Lou Gordon says

    March 16, 2023 at 10:24 am

    Can I make this in a 13×9 pan

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      March 16, 2023 at 10:26 am

      I think that would work!

      Reply
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About

photo of Kelsie Roehl     Hey there! I’m Kelsie and this is where I share my buttery, sugary, and all-around delicious recipes. I LOVE to bake and I want you to love baking too, so all of my recipes are totally do-able for the home baker.  If you need a little dessert in your life, consider this your one-stop shop for anything sweet! Need a little more info? Here you go!

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