3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone 1 reacted with ethyl cyanocetate in 2 in the presence of sodium ethoxide under focused microwave irradiations to afford 3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2-( 5H)-furanone 3. Furanone 3 then condensed with aromatic or heteroaromatic aldehydes 4a–h to produce 3-cyano-4-( trans-aryl-vinyl)-5,5-dimethyl-2-( 5H)-furanones 5a–h in high overall yields (71–88%).