The history of Watergate Cake is a little unclear. It precedes Watergate Salad, another pistachio-flavored dessert that's chock-full of nuts. But desserts like it, ones that use gelatin and pudding mixes, were at their peak of popularity in the mid-20th century, several years before the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon.

It's also unlikely this type of dessert was served at the eponymous hotel, as it was their menus were more high-end and they were not likely to serve recipes made with convenience ingredients meant for home cooks. But decades later, the Watergate-style desserts are still popular and much loved.

Watergate cake calls for a few pantry staples and some surprising other ingredients for its flavor and fluffy texture:

Leftover Watergate cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to two days. The frosting may soften slightly, in which case you can store the cake in the fridge. We do not recommend freezing the cake after it is frosted; the topping won't thaw well.

This cake is adaptable to ingredients you have on hand or other flavors you might like to try:

• Add some freeze-dried pineapple for garnish.
• Add a few maraschino cherries on top for garnish.
  

Yes, in parts. You can make the frosting up to two days ahead of time. Keep it covered in the refrigerator, and stir to loosen before spreading over the cake. You can also make the cake in advance. Wrap it well in plastic, followed by aluminum foil, and freeze for up to two weeks.