Watergate Cake
Watergate Cake features the well known pistachio, pineapple and coconut flavors that you love with a Watergate salad, but as a cake! Simply delicious!
A TROPICAL INSPIRED PISTACHIO CAKE
If you love Watergate salad then you will love Watergate Cake. This particular recipe (like the Watergate salad) gained huge popularity in the 70’s. Although whenever I say I remember a recipe from the 70’s, someone will inevitably tell me their Mom has been making it since the 1920’s – ha! The salad is actually named after this cake. It’s basically a pistachio flavored cake with pineapple, coconut and pecans added. It is unique and delicious (perfect for summer!)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
The truth is, no one knows where the exact origins for this cake come from. A few food brands have laid claim to inventing it and publishing it on their products, a few people swear their Mee Maw invented it and some claim it’s from the Watergate Hotel in D.C. but no one can say definitively who came up with it the very first time. If you Google it, you’ll see there are a lot of theories but no one can seem to show proof, so like many good recipes, there are a lot of people laying claim to it.
Just leave it out. You don’t need to substitute with anything.
Yes, due to the whipped topping, this Watergate Cake needs to be kept chilled when you aren’t serving it. Plus, I think it tastes better that way.
You could do this with other pudding mixes, I see a piña colada version being really good (using coconut pudding). I think if you used some pineapple and oranges, you could even make a cake that tastes like my Tropical Watergate Salad. But the traditional Watergate cake is made only with pistachio pudding.
I’d say you could make it a day in advance at most. I think it’s best the day you make it or the following day. It’s not so much that it goes bad in the refrigerator, it’s just that the texture starts to change an break down a bit.
Absolutely! I have a recipe for a homemade white cake if you’d like to use that instead of the cake mix. I’m not sure what to tell you about the pudding though. I only know how to make this with store-bought pistachio pudding mix.
If you can find the ingredients in sugar free options, then yes.
You should keep this cake covered for up to 4 days in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months if covered and stored in a freezer safe container.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- crushed pineapple – look for the kind that says 100% juice. You do not want the pineapple that is in syrup. It would too thick and super sweet.
- white cake mix – you can use a yellow or French vanilla cake mix.
- vegetable oil
- milk
- large eggs – with white cake mixes, you can use the whole egg or just egg whites. You can use either (they both work as you can read on the back of the box.) The egg whites just help to keep the white color more vibrant whereas using the whole egg adds a slightly yellow tint. I opted to use the whole egg but it is up to you.
- instant pistachio pudding mix
- pecans – if you don’t like pecans, just leave them out or use another nut you enjoy (walnut or macadamia nut work well here too)
- sweetened coconut flakes – make sure to grab the sweetened coconut flakes. The unsweetened bags are right next to it and trust me, you want the sweetened.
- whipped topping – you can make a homemade whipped cream if you like but it will break down much faster than Cool Whip (especially since we’re adding pineapple to it which adds additional liquid to the mix).
- mini marshmallows
HOW TO MAKE WATERGATE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Drain the pineapple over a large bowl in a fine mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much juice as you can. Reserve ½ cup of the juice for the topping.
Add the white cake mix, oil, milk, eggs, and pudding mix into a large bowl. Combine for 2 minutes with an electric hand mixer. Stir in half of the drained pineapple, the pecans, and coconut flakes.
Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. The cake may dip in the center, that’s okay.
Once the cake is cool, make the topping. In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix with the reserved ½ cup of pineapple juice until it just comes together. Quickly whisk in the whipped topping.
Gently stir in the marshmallows, pecans, coconut flakes, and remaining drained pineapple. Smooth this over the top of the cake. Optional: Top with additional mini marshmallows, coconut flakes and chopped pecans.
Cover and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill before serving.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Pistachio Cake
- Pistachio Layered Dessert
- Southern Pecan Praline Cake
- Piña Colada Poke Cake
- Coconut Cream Poke Cake
- Hawaiian Poke Cake
- Butter Pecan Poke Cake
- Pistachio Cake
- Tropical Watergate Salad
- Ambrosia Salad
- Pistachio Fluff
- Orange Fluff
- Pistachio Cake
- Punch Bowl Cake
Watergate Salad Cake
Ingredients
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in 100% juice (1/2 cup juice reserved and divided use)
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
- 3 large eggs (can use the whole egg or just egg whites)
- 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding mix
- ¾ cup finely chopped pecans
- ¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes
For the topping:
- 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding mix
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 8 ounces whipped topping (Cool Whip or store brand)
- ¾ cup mini marshmallows (plus more for garnish)
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans (plus more for garnish)
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Drain 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in 100% juice over a bowl in a fine mesh strainer (to catch the juice). Use the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much juice as you can. Reserve ½ cup of the juice for the topping.
- Add 1 box white cake mix, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup milk, 3 large eggs and 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding mix into a large bowl. Combine for 2 minutes with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer).
- Stir in half of the drained crushed pineapple (set aside the rest for the topping), 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans and 3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 35-45 minutes on the middle rack until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely. The cake may dip in the center, that’s normal (we're going to cover the dip with frosting anyways).
- Once the cake is cool, make the topping. In a large bowl, whisk together 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding mix with the 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice until it just comes together.
- Quickly whisk in 8 ounces whipped topping.
- Gently stir in 3/4 cup mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes and the other half of the drained crushed pineapple.
- Smooth this over the top of the cake. Cover and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill before serving.
- Then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- You are not making this recipe using the same amounts and ingredients on the back of the box, please only follow the amounts and directions I have given here.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
5 + stars!!
This cake is amazing! Everyone loves it! I have to admit, a 13×9 was a bit too big for the 3 of us, so I cut it in half! It came out great…I would recommend it for anyone looking for a great cake!
Thanks…
Love it so much
Oh I have to make this love the salad but in cake form sounds so good
Hope you love it Mary!