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By Amy L. Hatch
I’m not even gonna lie — this cake is ridiculous.
It has an entire cup of oil in it, but I promise once you taste it you won’t even care. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and it’s one of my husband’s favorites. In fact, it’s one of his preferred birthday cakes.
Not only is it delicious retro goodness (cake mix, pudding and Dream Whip — soooo 1975!), it appeals to me for its name alone.
It is named for the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., part of the Watergate Complex, which was the scene of those infamous break-ins that would lead to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon and the ascension of journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein into the Reporter’s Canon. When I was in journalism school back in the late 1980s and early 90s (gulp) I was pretty sure I was going to follow in their footsteps.
Obviously, THAT didn’t happen. But whenever I make, serve and eat (and eat and eat some more of) this cake, I think about that naive young student …and giggle.
I recommend this cake for any weeknight, for a birthday and especially for a showing of “All The President’s Men.”
| Easy Weekday Baking: Watergate Cake |
- For the cake:
- One box of white cake mix
- One box of pistachio instant pudding
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of club soda
- 1/2 cup of crushed nuts (optional)
- For the frosting:
- 1 cup of cold milk
- 1 package of pistachio pudding
- 1 package of Dream Whip
- Preheat your oven to 350-degrees, then mix together the cake mix, one box of pudding, eggs and oil. The batter will look thick and somewhat grainy, like a cookie dough.
- Add the club soda and beat until well incorporated.
- Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the frosting: Combine the milk, pudding and Dream Whip in a mixing bowl, and beat until peaks form.
- Frost the cooled cake; serve immediately or refrigerate.
ALLERGY NOTE: Pistachio instant pudding does contain nuts, so make sure you don’t serve this cake to anyone who has a diagnosed nut allergy.