This Watergate Sheet Cake is nutty and moist thanks to pistachio pudding and pecans. Topped with a sweet, light whipped cream topping and coconut, this cake has it ALL, and it’s easy to make too!
We love making cakes in 13×9 baking pans. Our easy chocolate cake is always a winner. But don’t forget to whip up this delicious cream puff cake next!
Why this Recipe Works
Hanging around my blog for any amount of time will not only result in weight gain, but you’ll see inside my soul.
You’ll see that I love homemade Rice Krispie Treats and thick and fudgy brownies!
But there is something you must know. While I love chocolate cake…there is another flavor that has stolen my heart.
Have you tried Watergate Cake yet? I’ve made every version you can think of…and today I’m sharing a sheet cake (or 13×9 cake).
Easy. Delicious. And portable.
Perfect for holidays, parties, or just a Tuesday dessert! But first….
What is Watergate Cake
Open up any church cookbook and you’ll probably find a recipe for this classic treat.
Watergate Cake is a delicious recipe packed with pistachio pudding, pecans, coconut, 7-up, and sometimes people even add pineapple.
How it got it’s name?
Well, the story is that JELL-O released it’s pistachio pudding mix around the same time as the Watergate Scandal in Washington. And the slogan was “pistachio pudding, full of nuts and cover up (frosting), just like Washington.”
Not sure if that’s true…but that’s what I was always told, so I’m sticking with it!
How to Make a Watergate Sheet Cake
For today’s recipe, I used my favorite Watergate Bundt Cake recipe and tweaked it for a 13×9 baking dish.
- Make the Batter.
- Bake the Cake.
- Cool and add frosting.
That is it. It’s why I love sheet cake recipes!
Ingredient Notes
- Pudding Mix. Be sure to use INSTANT pudding mix for this recipe. And try NOT to choose the “sugar free” option.
- Some of you will ask if you can substitute anything for the 7 UP in the recipe. You can use other lemon lime soda, or even Fresca. You can also choose carbonated water (like La Croix). The carbonation helps create air bubbles in the batter, creating a light and fluffy texture! This is why I LOVE my 7UP Pound Cake recipe!
- If you choose to not use Cool Whip, you can substitute Dream Whip (2 envelopes mixed with the milk. Then add pistachio pudding mix and beat). Or you can make a homemade whipped cream and add pistachio pudding. Our stabilized whipped cream is a copycat cool whip recipe and perfect for today.
The topping on this cake is meant to be light and fluffy!
You can also make Watergate Cupcakes if you prefer! So tasty!
This cake is best served chilled.
More Pistachio Treats
I’m a sucker for pistachio flavored desserts and snacks. Here are a few of my favorites!
Easy, 4 ingredient Pistachio Fluff Salad, also known simply as Pistachio Salad or Watergate Salad! Best served with friends and family, this recipe makes a great potluck dish!
Delicious, no bake Pistachio Eclair Cake is the perfect dessert at the end of the day!
Delicious, No Bake Pistachio Cherry Cheesecake. You’ll love the layers of cookie crust, creamy pistachio cheesecake, cherry pie filling and whipped cream!
Crunchy Biscotti with Cranberry, Pistachio and White Chocolate. I love keeping some Cranberry Pistachio biscotti on hand all year long!
More Cake Recipes
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Watergate Sheet Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 box white cake mix 18.25 ounce
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 package instant pistachio pudding mix 3 ounce
- 1 cup lemon lime soda
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 container Cool Whip, thawed 8 ounce
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 package instant pistachio pudding 3 ounce
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In large mixer bowl at medium speed, add cake mix, oil, pudding, eggs, and lemon lime soda. Fold in chopped pecans and coconut. Pour into greased & floured 13×9 baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 32-35 minutes. Cool completely.
- To frost, while cake is baking, beat pudding with milk until light & fluffy, about two minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more then spread over cooled cake.
- Sprinkle with pecans and coconut. Refrigerate and enjoy.
Would you be able to freeze the cake that is leftover?
Thank you.
Absolutely! I wrap slices in plastic wrap, then slide into airtight container or ziploc bag.
Can you skip adding the pudding mix to the frosting and just add home made whipped cream with the nuts?
You could, but the pistachio flavor is incredible in the frosting.
I am allergic to coconut, I grew up on this cake and want to make it. Will not putting the coconut in have any effect on the cake or frosting? We always used ground walnuts in ours and sprinkled on top as walnuts were my mothers favorite to use. I can’t wait to try this cake again!!!
Easy, moist, delicious…this was a hit at our house!
One of my favorites, glad you all enjoyed it too 🙂
Can I use pistachio nuts instead of pecans in the frosting?
If you prefer that, sure!
Wanted to know what would be the consequence or affect to the taste or texture if sugar free pudding was used instead to reduce the total sugar content? The calories or fat are not a concern, but wanted to reduce the sugar, but if it’s going to have a detrimental affect on the recipe quality somehow I’d like to know??
I made this delicious pistachio pudding cake for a group meeting and it went over fabulously!! Very moist and delicious!! Definitely a keeper!
So happy to hear it!
Looks so good !! Can you make it in a Bundt pan ?
I already have a bundt cake version! Just type in “pistachio cake” in my search bar on the page!
Can you add pineapple to this instead of coconut?
So in love with pistachio; this one looks so easy and rich 🙂 Thank you !
Thanks for this!! Today is hubby’s bday and I wasn’t going to make him a cake. But he loves pistachio so I might just do this today!
This is a delicious cake!! It is moist & so flavorful!!
In love with this sheet cake!
Watergate anything! Yum!! Thanks for sharing
I love pistachio and this cake certainly delivers! Yum!!!
The first thing required to make this cake is to PIN it to my favorite board so I don’t lose it. I grew up eating this cake but I’m loving your version. The pretty pistachio color is perfect for our St. Patricks celebration too and I love that it’s in a 9×13 pan. That makes it so much easier to serve and I can have as big a piece as I want!
This is such an easy cake and soooooooooo good!
This looks fabulous. I love watergate anything so I’m absolutely going to whip this up.