When I visited Milos, Karpouzopita was one of the things I couldn’t wait to try. I had heard about this unusual local sweet made from watermelon, and of course, I had to taste it for myself.
I went from bakery to bakery, trying different versions and seeing how each one varied. I also spoke with my auntie, Thia Argiroula, and her friends, who spend around eight months of the year living on the island. I wanted to understand what makes a truly traditional Karpouzopita. The answer was simple: keep the ingredients simple and, most importantly, keep it as flat as possible. This is not the light, airy, spongy cake we might normally expect. Its character comes from being dense, moist and flat.
The flavour caught me by surprise and, if I’m being honest, it wasn’t one I fell in love with. But the more I learned about Karpouzopita, the more I appreciated it. It is such a beautiful example of the resourcefulness of the people of Milos and the way Greek island cooking has always made the most of what is growing around you.
What makes it even more interesting is what isn’t in it. There are no eggs, milk or baking powder, the ingredients we might normally expect to find in a cake. Instead, the watermelon provides most of the moisture, while flour brings it together, with honey, sugar, cinnamon and sesame adding sweetness and texture. It is a recipe born from simplicity, using what was available rather than relying on a long list of ingredients.
Watermelons grow abundantly on Milos during the hot summer months, and traditionally, this plentiful fruit was turned into a simple sweet rather than letting it go to waste. Recipes like Karpouzopita are a reminder that some of the most interesting Greek foods came from making do with what was at hand, especially on the islands where ingredients could be limited or seasonal.
It may not have been my favourite bite in Milos, but I love what it represents, a recipe shaped by place, season and necessity, and passed down through generations. Sometimes food tells us as much about the people who made it as it does about the way it tastes.
KARPOUZOPITA | Watermelon Cake from Milos
Mary PolitisIngredients
- 500 g watermelon cut roughly into small cubes
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g honey
- 260 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Exrta oil for greasing
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan-forced.
- Add the roughly chopped watermelon to a large bowl. Using your hands, crush the watermelon well, releasing as much of its juice as possible.
- Add the olive oil, caster sugar, honey, flour, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Mix well until combined.
- Grease a 33 cm round baking tray generously with olive oil. Scatter 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds over the base of the tray.
- Scoop, rather than pour, the watermelon mixture onto the sesame seeds and spread it out evenly. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.
- Bake for up to 1 hour, or until the cake is set and golden around the edges.
- Allow to cool before slicing and serving. Karpouzopita should be relatively flat in appearance — this is part of its traditional character.