• 2 pounds

  fresh strawberries, chopped, 3 or 4 reserved for garnish

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• 2/3 cup

  fresh orange juice

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• 1/3 cup

  sugar

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• 1 teaspoon

  balsamic vinegar, optional

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• 1 tablespoon

  cornstarch

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• 1 quart

  ice cream or frozen yogurt

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• 2 

  7-ounce packages crunchy ladyfingers

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• 3/4 cup

  crumbled amaretti and/or chocolate wafer cookies

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• 1/2 cup

  toasted slivered almonds

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1.

To make Strawberry Sauce: Combine strawberries, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, if using, and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat 7 minutes, or until strawberries are soft. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water, and stir into strawberries. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture thickens, stirring often. Transfer to blender, and puree until smooth. Cool.

2.

To make Cake: Remove ice cream from freezer to soften while preparing ladyfingers. Dip 12 ladyfingers in strawberry sauce until softened. Cut in half, and use to line inside rim of 9-inch springform pan, standing ladyfingers vertically, edge to edge, rounded tops up.

3.

Dip and cut 12 more ladyfingers in half diagonally, and fit in bottom of springform pan, laying ladyfingers side by side, pointed ends toward middle, like spokes in a wheel. (Refit any broken ladyfingers.) Spread half of ice cream over bottom layer of ladyfingers. Top with half of Strawberry Sauce.

4.

Repeat layering with remaining ladyfingers, ice cream, and Strawberry Sauce. Top with crumbled cookies and slivered almonds.

5.

Wrap Cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and freeze at least 4 hours.

6.

To serve: Remove from freezer, release springform rim, and let Cake stand 10 minutes. Dip large knife in hot water; wipe dry, then slice into 12 wedges.