Pistachio Cake

This easy retro cake mix recipe uses pistachio pudding in the cake AND in the frosting for tons of pistachio flavor and a super moist cake. Also called Watergate Cake, it's perfect for Easter, St. Patrick's Day and Christmas!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. HOLIDAYS VARIATIONS FOR PISTACHIO CAKE
3. A FEW NOTES ON INGREDIENTS
4. MORE RECIPES MADE WITH CAKE MIXES

I take a lot of flack when I publish a recipe that uses short-cut, instant or imitation ingredients. Let me put something out there with Cool Whip in it and I always, always get the comment, “This looks good but when I make it, I’ll use real whipped cream!”

You do you, Brenda. You rock it out with the real deal, if you want. You don’t have to convince me that homemade is usually better.

But most of my recipes are family favorites that have been handed down through the years OR come from limited time (and budget) so I have lots of ‘whip it up quick and cheap’ recipes. And I love them.

I can’t wait to see what kind of feedback I get on this one. Not only does it use a cake mix and instant pudding mix but - oh, LAWWW - this one doesn't even use Cool Whip... it's made with Dream Whip! 

Ha!!  Don't stroke out, Brenda! Short-cut ingredients or not, this cake is delicious and I wouldn't change a thing about it!

This was originally published in Southern Living magazine. And it must be old because the magazine page, which Mama has in one of her many, many three-ring binders of recipes, is in black and white.

The cake is rich and light which is a hard combo to come by. The club soda is surely what contributes to the lightness of it and the pudding mix is what helps make it so rich.

With all the fun flavors of seltzer out there now (La Croix, Bubbly, etc.), I've been tempted to use a pineapple seltzer in this but haven't tried it yet (I wonder if they make pistachio flavor??).

I mention pineapple because this cake tastes SO MUCH like Watergate Salad, which is made with pistachio pudding and crushed pineapple so I know the flavors go well together. Side note: I love Watergate Salad so much, I could eat a quart of it without batting an eye.

PISTACHIO CAKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Pistachio Cake is always a favorite of mine during the holidays because it's so easy to decorate.

Easter - Omit the pecans on top then dot the frosting with Cadbury Mini Eggs. The little chocolate eggs are colored yellow, blue, pink and white (with no green eggs) so they are gorgeous on the green frosting. Consider sprinkling the frosting with green coconut first to make it really look like an Easter egg hunt! Toss sweetened flaked coconut with a few drops of green food coloring to make green coconut "grass".

Christmas - Garnish the cake with maraschino cherries to look like a holiday wreath (lay cherries on paper towels to dry a bit so the juice doesn't bleed onto the frosting). Make it with or without nuts on top.

St. Patrick's Day - Garnish with green maraschino cherries (stock up at Christmas because that's usually the only time I can find them) OR fill the hole of the bundt cake with gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins once the frosting has set up well in the fridge.

A FEW NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

• Use the 4-serving size boxes of pistachio pudding. Ounces vary depending on brand and whether using regular or sugar-free.
• For a cooler green color in the cake, use egg whites only instead of whole eggs.
• You can use a yellow cake mix if needed but white will give you a prettier color green and you'll be able to taste the pistachio flavor more.
• Dream Whip is a powdered mix used to make whipped topping. It's usually sold in boxes of four packets. The recipe on the box for pudding pie is pretty good if you're looking for something to make with the other packets!
• Use club soda, not tonic water or sweetened soda. Club soda is usually sold near cocktail mixers in grocery stores. 
• I've made this topped with pistachios and with pecans and actually prefer the pecans but feel free to use pistachios (or omit the nuts altogether).

MORE RECIPES MADE WITH CAKE MIXES

• CHERRY DANISH CAKE - An easy semi-homemade cake recipe dotted with cherry pie filling, drizzled with sour cream icing and topped with slivered almonds.
• EASY PECAN PIE BARS - All the fabulous flavor of pecan pie in a chewy, gooey bar recipe made easy with a cake mix base.
• IMPOSSIBLE 5-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE - A moist, fudgy, decadent chocolate bundt cake recipe made with just five ingredients.
• WHITE WINE CAKE - A super moist, rich cake recipe made with white wine and a touch of cinnamon.

Recipe for Pistachio Cake

Pistachio Cake

Yield: 10 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min

This easy retro cake mix recipe uses pistachio pudding in the cake AND in the frosting for tons of pistachio flavor and a super moist cake. Also called Watergate Cake, it's perfect for Easter, St. Patrick's Day and Christmas!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 small box instant pistachio pudding
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup club soda
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or pistachios

Frosting:

• 2 envelopes Dream Whip whipped topping mix
• 1 small box instant pistachio pudding
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or pistachios

Instructions

Make the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard bundt pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl then mix at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
3. Add club soda then mix until just combined.
4. Fold in nuts then pour batter into a prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a serving plate. Cool cake completely.

Make the Frosting:

1. Combine Dream Whip with pudding mix in a mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add milk then mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined.
3. Increase mixer speed to high then beat frosting for 4-6 minutes or until soft peaks form.
4. Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake. Garnish with finely chopped pecans or pistachios.
5. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve and to store.

Notes

• Feel free to omit the nuts from the cake batter and/or garnish on top.
• See section above recipe card for more notes about ingredients.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/09/pistachio-cake.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2013

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