Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.

For the bread:

Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor, and puree on high speed. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and oil. Add the strawberries and whisk until well blended.

Into a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold into the strawberry mixture, blending until moistened. Fold in the nuts, being careful not to overmix. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let sit for 10 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack to cool completely.

For the compote:

Heat the butter in a large saute pan over high heat until melted and bubbly. Add the berries and saute for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and liqueur and cook until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. (Be careful: The liqueur may ignite. If it does, cool the berry mixture until the flames die down.) Add the ginger, cardamom, and orange zest. Mix well, and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Serve over the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Combine the cream and milk in a large heavy saucepan. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the cream mixture and add the bean pod. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Whisk the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl. In a slow and steady stream, whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture. Gradually whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine- mesh sieve into a heatproof medium bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream machine. Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack into an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Yield: about 1 quart