It’s been a full, lonnnng month since our last cake expedition. I got a lot of ooohs and ahhhs on my Louisiana Butter Pecan Cake in May. (You can get all the buttery, pecan-y lowdown here.)

So it’s a new month and, as promised, it’s time we talked cake again. Specifically, another “Cakeover” of a cake that was popular during my 1970s childhood in Louisiana. If you weren’t around in the 1970s, or just don’t remember (a condition that was epidemic then), there was a particular presidential scandal in the early part of the decade involving the U.S. president. Some cake legend-ologists say the cake I’m redoing this month was named for that particular scandal, but I’ve also read that the Watergate Hotel restaurant’s signature Watergate Salad had something to do with the name’s provenance. Some say the cake actually predates the salad. So confusing. (Read more about all that here.) The salad apparently featured pistachios, whipped cream, and pineapple, among other psychedelic goodies from that period.

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In my update of this cake, I killed off the boxed cake mix idea and the frozen whipped topping (that would be Cool Whip) right out of the gate. We can make a real cake from scratch here, so we will. I had intended to make real, homemade whipped cream to replace the Cool Whip, but after playing with that and realizing that, in the heat of summer, whipped cream really doesn’t travel well (I had envisioned the layers of cake sliding around in the car as I traveled to whatever picnic I was headed to). ANYWAY, in addition to making the cake from scratch (not much more involved than pouring it out of a box – but SO much better-tasting), I landed on a basic buttercream frosting, with the pistachio pudding mix (the one boxed ingredient that should stay intact). This approach maintains the spirit of the original, while being easier to use and, frankly, tastier, and more full-bodied than the faux whipped cream of the original.

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So let’s get baking:

WATERGATE CAKE REDUX

INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1, 3-ounce package of pistachio pudding mix
1 cup  melted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup lemon-lime or grapefruit flavored carbonated soft drink (I used Fresca).

For the Frosting:

INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cake:

1 -Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat three, 7-inch cake pans with cooking spray (of course if you only have two such pans, you’ll have to reuse one of them in a second baking).
2 – Whisk dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
3 – In a larger bowl, using a hand mixer, cream sugar into melted butter until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
4 – Add dry ingredients alternately with the soft drink, starting and ending with the flour, mixing a little between each addition.
5 – Pour batter into prepared pans; fill each no more than halfway.
6 – Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7 – Cool layers completely before frosting.
8 – Garnish with (optional) coarsely chopped pistachios or walnuts.

For the Frosting:

1 – In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with a hand or a stand mixer until smooth.
2 – Add the package of pistachio pudding mix, and then the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you get a thickness you like. You may not use all four cups of the sugar.
3 – Beat on medium speed until smooth.
4 – Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sea salt and vanilla until fully integrated.

Let me know how it turns out in the Contact section. And make sure to FOLLOW me! (form at the bottom of this page).

M

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