Watergate Cake is a light, fluffy pistachio flavored cake with an airy pudding frosting. This green cake recipe with dream whip frosting is perfect as a spring dessert for holidays or any day. This pistachio cake is truly a delicious classic!

Do you love classic dessert recipes?? If you do, then you are going to LOVE this Peanut Blossom recipe or this Triple Berry Crisp!

Pistachio Cake Recipe

There have been some wild storms coming through the south over the last few days. The rain has been coming down so hard at night, it’s been keeping us all awake. We also have had a high threat of tornados.

While all of that is not so fun, one thing these rain storms do bring is the promise of spring! Spring is right around the corner and I couldn’t be happier about it. I enjoy the sun and the heat, something you see very little of in the winter, lol. Everything around here is finally starting to green back up and even my trees have started blossoming.

Green Cake

This pistachio pudding cake has a light flavor and gorgeous pale green frosting that reminds me of spring. Something about it makes me think of fresh, growing grass, wild flowers, spring breezes, and the Easter bunny.

This family favorite makes one of the best spring desserts and will cure your sweet tooth. I really like baking from scratch, but sometimes I just don’t have the time and like to be able to just throw a quick dessert together like this Cherry Dump Cake.

Enter this cake! It’s an easy to make pistachio sheet cake, made with pantry ingredients, and it tastes good, too. So pretty for Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, or Christmas with it’s light nutty flavor.

What is Watergate Cake?

This classic Watergate cake is a classic recipe made with a boxed white cake mix, pistachio pudding, and Dream Whip frosting. This cake is truly vintage as it has been made by home cooks since the 1950’s and has probably graced millions of church gatherings, potlucks, picnics, and Easter tables. It has stuck around for so long because it’s delicious!

Traditionally, this cake is made in a bundt pan with 7up and has finely chopped pecans in the cake as well as sprinkled on top of the cake. It’s a pistachio 7up cake so why not top it with pistachios. I didn’t put any pistachios in the cake, but you are welcome to add in 1/2 cup of finely chopped pistachios, pecans, walnuts, or almonds. I also swapped the 7up out for some club soda just to save a little on some calories.

What is the origin of the name Watergate Cake?

The Watergate cake’s origin isn’t exactly clear. It was either made by a chef at the Watergate Hotel or nicknamed for the President Richard Nixon political scandal that happened in 1972. My fingers are crossed that it was because of Nixon, much more exciting!!

If it was named after the scandal, it has been said that this cake was originally just a pistachio pudding cake with pistachio frosting. It was cleverly dubbed Watergate cake with cover-up icing (or impeachment frosting) because putting the frosting on the cake was like “covering it up” kind of like Nixon did with his very own “cover up.”

I find it pretty entertaining!

What is the Watergate Scandal?

The Committee for the Re-election of President Nixon wanted to spy on what the Democrats had planned for their candidates election. So in May 1972, a group of burglars successfully wiretapped the telephones at the Democratic Party’s Headquarters located in the Watergate Complex. There were issues with the taps that had been placed, so in June 1972 a second robbery was planned.

The night before the break-in occurred, the robbers stayed in the Watergate Hotel, which is also within the Watergate Complex. The burglars had placed tape over the locks on the doors so that the doors would close but not lock. A security guard noticed the tape and removed it.

When the tape reappeared on the doors, this alarmed the security guard and he called the police. All of the burglars got arrested. President Nixon’s plan and agenda to cover up his involvement in the scandal slowly came to light over the following years, which ultimately ended in his resignation.

What is Watergate salad?

A watergate salad recipe is super similar to Watergate cake. Its green fluff made with Cool Whip, pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, chopped pecans, and miniature marshmallows. So yummy!!

If you love Watergate salad, you are going to love this cake! It’s full of delicious pistachio flavors and topped off with creamy Dream Whip frosting, sweetened coconut and chopped pistachios. The only thing this pistachio cake is missing is the pineapple and the marshmallows, that is, of course unless you add them to the cake (directions are below).

How to Make Cool Whip Frosting Instead of Dream Whip Frosting

If you would rather make the frosting out of Cool Whip Instead of Dream Whip just follow these easy directions.

• Thaw an 8-ounce container of Cool Whip.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 1 1/2 cup milk with 1 box of pudding mix on low for about 2 minutes.
• Fold in the thawed Cool Whip with a large spoon or spoonula. Spread it on the cooled cake.

Watergate Cake Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients needed to make this moist cake and creamy whipped frosting. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full amounts.

• Box of Cake Mix: I used a box of white cake mix. You could use a yellow cake mix instead, but the taste and color may be a little different.
• Oil: Use vegetable oil.
• Instant Pudding Mix: You will need two 3.4 ounce boxes of instant pistachio pudding mix. One for the cake and the second for the frosting. Jell-o brand or store brand works.
• Eggs: You will need three large eggs for this cake recipe.
• Carbonated Beverage: I used club soda just to have a little less calories and sugar in the cake. You can also use any clear lemon lime flavored soda or even ginger ale.
• Milk: Any cold milk will work, non-fat milk, low-fat milk or whole milk.
• Coconut flakes: I used sweetened coconut flakes, but you can use un-sweetened if you prefer.
• Nuts: I used chopped pistachios to sprinkle on top of the cake. You could also use chopped up pecans, almonds, or walnuts. This is optional.
• Whipped Topping: I use Dream Whip to make the frosting.

How to Make Watergate Cake

• Preheat the oven and oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with either butter or non-stick cooking spray.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine cake mix, 1 box of instant pistachio pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, and club soda.
• With electric mixer combine well on low speed for 1-2 minutes then at medium speed for 3-4 minutes scraping down the sides as needed.
• Pour batter into the 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Cake is done baking once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool completely before making the frosting.
• In the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer, add in 2 envelopes of dream whip and milk. Whip until soft peaks form.
• Add in second box of pistachio pudding mix and mix until combined. Spread evenly on cake. Top with coconut and chopped pistachios.

Watergate Cake Tips

• Make sure to mix the cake batter for 3-4 minutes for a light and fluffy cake.
• The sprinkling of nuts on the top of this cake are completely optional. Use a different type of nuts and cut them up as coarse or fine as you like.
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, the batter and frosting can be made with a handheld mixer.
• Always keep this cake refrigerated because there is milk in the frosting. If you take it to a picnic or potluck just make sure to keep it in a cooler or on icepacks and not sitting out anywhere for too long.
• One option to quickly cool the cake is to let it cool at room temperature for at least an hour. Then move it to the fridge until it is completely cooled.

Watergate Cake Variations

• Put in a 15-ounce can of crushed pineapple (with the juice) to the cake batter just omit the fizzy beverage.
• Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios to the cake batter.
• Leave off the coconut completely.
• Instead of club soda make this Watergate cake with 7up or any lemon lime soda, carbonated water, or even ginger ale.
• Add 1/2 cup of coconut to the batter as well as 1/2 cup on top of frosting.
• Put miniature marshmallows on this cake to taste even more like a Watergate salad (it has mini marshmallows in it).
• Top the cake with maraschino cherries for a festive look that you can serve during the Christmas holidays.
• You can toast the coconut and nuts for more flavor. How to Toast Coconut: Preheat oven to 325° F. Spread shredded coconut out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes (should be lightly browned).
• How to Toast Nuts: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts out in a single later on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toast for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.
• More green color. Add a couple drops of green food coloring to the cake batter to make it a darker green color.
• Coconut dessert. This cake recipe can also makes a delicious version of a coconut cake! All you need to do is add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut to the cake batter and 1/2 cup of coconut sprinkled over the top of the cake. Or make a Watergate cake with pineapple by adding a can of crushed pineapple into the cake batter.
• Pistachio flavor. Add a teaspoon of almond extract into the cake batter for more of a “pistachio” flavor.

How to Store Watergate Cake

• How to Refrigerate Watergate Cake: Keep cake in the baking dish and cover with plastic wrap or put any leftover cake into an airtight container or zipper bag. The cake should last about 7 days in the fridge.
• How to Store Watergate Cake at Room Temperature: Due to the fact that there is milk in the frosting, it is not recommended to store Watergate cake at room temp.
• How to Freeze Watergate Cake: Cake can be frozen without the frosting. Let the cake cool off completely before putting into an airtight glass, BPA-free freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe plastic container. Make sure to label the cake with the recipe name and date. It should last about 3 months in the freezer.
• How to Thaw Watergate Cake: Thaw the frozen cake on the counter at room temperature. Make the frosting and ice the cake.

Try these other delicious desserts!

• Cherry Cheesecake Dump Cake
• Nutella Truffles
• Apple Cinnamon Bread
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pistachio Pudding Cookies

If you’ve tried this green Watergate cake recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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