re: smash cakes

I’ve done four inch cakes for smash cakes. I’ll put them on an eight inch cake board and transport in an eight inch cake box. I can personally never get a smooth finish on the buttercream for such a small cake, so I’ll always do a textured side, but I’ve been told to put a dowel through the center to keep it upright while smoothing the sides, then remove when ready to smooth top and decorate.