Orange pound cake complements ice cream

Ice creams and sherbets are standard summertime desserts. They are refreshing , often quite colorful, and easy to serve. If you have some homemade cookies or a slice of cake to serve along with them, this simple dessert becomes a special one.

The following recipe is for a simple, plain cake that tastes particularly good with ice creams. It would also be nice to eat late in the afternoon with a tall glass of lemonade, or you might even try it for a breakfast on the run. It is from ''Cooking with Lydie Marshall'' by a New York cooking school teacher.

Be sure to use sweet butter and fresh orange juice, and beat it for as long as the directions say. It gets better the next day, if there is any left. Orange Pound Cake 9 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Butter a 4-cup loaf pan. Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit in the bottom of pan. Put it in place and butter it.

With electric mixer or electric hand beater, beat softened butter and sugar together at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs and continue beating for 5 minutes. At this point, the mixture will look curdled, but don't worry; it will smooth out when flour is added.

Sift flour and baking powder onto a piece of waxed paper. Reduce mixer speed to low, add flour, little by little, until it is all thoroughly blended. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Still at low speed, beat in orange juice and grated orange rind. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees F. on middle shelf of oven. Cover loosely with foil if top gets too dark.

Remove from oven. Run a knife around the edge and turn pan upside down on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove waxed paper at bottom of cake, then turn it back top side up. Cake tastes best at room temperature.