text: A strong base deprotonates the dicarbonyl α-carbon.  This carbon is preferred over the methyl carbon because the formed enolate is conjugated and thus resonance stabilized.  The carbon then undergoes nucleophilic substitution.  When heated with aqueous acid, the newly alkylated ester is hydrolyzed to a β-keto acid, which is decarboxylated to form a methyl ketone.