Melting method cake making - having problems

[Harimad]

Hi all,

Hoping someone can help me with this...

I'm usually considered a good cake maker, but I'm trying to make a chocolate and orange cake from Leith's baking bible which uses the melting method, and find that when I melt the chocolate, butter and sugar together, it never seems to melt to a 'smooth consistency', but that the choc and butter melt very nicely and the sugar just stays granular - is this right?

I seem to remember having this problem when I tried this method before - what am I doing wrong??

Thanks anyone!
Hari.

Does it say to use granulated sugar or caster sugar? I'd think chocolate and butter would be at too low a temperature to dissolve granulated sugar smoothly, but with caster sugar it should be smooth (as in making brownies etc).

Hmm.. the recipe says to use 'soft light brown sugar', but maybe I should just swap this out for caster sugar and start again?

I wasn't really in the mood for baking today anyway (after last night!), but have to do a birthday cake...