# Cake-Infused Shakes The Dr Pepper Cake Shake is Blended with an Entire Slice of Cake By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2026-08-14 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dr-pepper-cake-shake References: [restaurantmagazine](https://www.restaurantmagazine.com/dr-pepper-shake-and-cake-shake-sweetens-summer-at-portillos/)  With the rise of [dirty sodas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dirty-soda-lineup), drinkers are after beverages that are both fizzy and creamy, and Portillo’s teamed up with Dr Pepper to deliver with a brand-new Dr Pepper Shake and Dr Pepper Cake Shake. Available for a limited time, the rich and creamy Dr Pepper Shake combines the signature soda with vanilla shake mix, while the Dr Pepper Cake Shake blends a whole slice of Portillo’s famous chocolate cake straight into the shake. The cake-infused shake mixed with all 23 signature flavors of Dr Pepper builds on the success of Portillo’s original [Chocolate Cake Shake](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/key-lime-pie-shake), which started out as a fun experiment turned into a favorite menu item. Now, the Dr Pepper Cake Shake offers a refreshing seasonal twist on the recipe, and Denise Lauer, Chief Marketing Officer of Portillo’s, says "If summer had an official milkshake, this is it.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 8.0/10 - Popularity: 68% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 90% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Drinking](https://www.trendhunter.com/drinking) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Cake-infused Beverages:** Dessert-forward drinks that blend whole baked goods into shakes signal new potential for indulgent menu hybrids with strong social sharing appeal. - **Creamy Soda Mashups:** Fizzy soda combined with dairy-based textures reflects growing consumer interest in nostalgic beverages that feel both familiar and novel. - **Limited-time Flavor Collaborations:** Seasonal co-branded menu items create buzz by pairing recognizable restaurant favorites with iconic beverage brands in unexpected formats. ### Where This Applies - **Quick-service Restaurants:** Fast-casual and QSR brands can differentiate crowded menus through playful beverage-dessert combinations that extend signature items into new categories. - **Beverage Manufacturing:** Soft drink companies are finding fresh relevance as their flavors become ingredients in creamy, dessert-inspired foodservice offerings. - **Frozen Desserts:** Shake and ice cream formats are evolving into customizable platforms for cross-category experimentation with cakes, sodas, and branded flavors. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Spiced Creamy Soda Flavors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dr-pepper-cream-swirl.md) - [Protein Dirty Sodas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pepsi-and-propud.md) - [Blended Snack Cake Shakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hostess-shakes.md) - [Vanilla Creme-Spiked Sodas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pepsi-dirty-soda.md) - [Cereal-Infused QSR Milkshakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fruity-pebbles-milkshake.md) - [Exclusive Flavorful Soda Shakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dr-pepper-blackberry-shake.md) - [Collaboration Snack Cake Shakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hostess-cupcake-shake.md) - [Soda-Themed Dessert Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dirty-soda-tres-leches-cake.md) - [Coach-Commemorating Soft-Serve Sodas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dusty-dr-pepper.md)