The title compound, C(20)H(20)O(3), was prepared by an acyl-oin-type condensation reaction in the presence of sodium sand and dry ether using ethyl cinnamate as the starting material. The C-O bond lengths for the carbonyl groups are 1.191 (2) and 1.198 (2) Å, while the C-O bond in the ester group is 1.335 (2) Å. The C-C bond lengths in the phenyl groups average 1.375 Å, while the C-C bonds in the cyclo-penta-none ring average 1.525 Å, indicating single C-C bonds in the latter.