Flour going lumpy in cake

Whenever I make this recipe (twice now) the flour goes lumpy when I pour in the liquid ingredients, even though I have throughly sifted the dry ingredients.Any idea why/how to stop it!

Cheap Chocolate Cake

3 Cups all-purpose flour (this cake works great with whole wheat pastry flour)

2 Cups sugar

1/3 Cup cocoa

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cups oil

2 Tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla

2 Cups hot water

For the Cake:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.Pour the oil, white vinegar, vanilla, and hot water into the well.Gently mix with a fork until combined.Do not use an electric mixer.Bake in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish, for 30-35 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.Cool completely or at least until the cake is barely warm

I use a similar recipe and always whisk it and never have lumps

I make something similar, also stirring with a fork, and have had no problems - but my recipe is only about two thirds this size.

Add the liquid gradually, stirring all the time, rather than adding it as one lump.

Or try doing it the other way round - gradually add the dry ingredients to the liquid, making sure each lot is incorporated before adding in the next half cup or so.

Awesome thank you will try both of these ideas.I like this cake because it uses no eggs, oil, expensive stuff haha

I have a similar recipe that uses 'just-boiled' water - perhaps try this.I just use a wooden spoon to mix and it turns out fine - add the whole lot at once and stir quite quickly.

I have a similar recipe and just chuck everything, including the dry ingredients, into the food processor and blitz it until it's done .

have you tried sifting it in with the baking soda

Is your hot water too hot!, that may cause the flour to react & go lumpy.